US women win a first Olympic medal in rugby sevens with a comeback victory over Australia
Alex Sedrick ran the length of the field to give the U.S. women a first Olympic rugby sevens medal with a stunning stoppage-time comeback win over Australia in the bronze-medal match
SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Alex Sedrick ran the length of the field, dived in under the posts and then calmly took the conversion, securing a first Olympic rugby sevens medal for the United States with a 14-12, last-minute upset over Australia.
Ilona Maher watched in awe as Sedrick bumped off two tacklers near her own tryline before sprinting all the way to the other end to score in front of a 60,000-plus crowd at Stade de France and spark jubilation for the Americans.
“I was kind of like, 'What is this? No way? It was crazy because I was like, ‘No, there’s no way this is happening,” Maher said of the audacious, winning try. “And then for her to have to make the kick as well, and she’s not our kicker.”
The American women lost to defending champion New Zealand in the semis — their first experience at that level — but overcame a 12-7 deficit against the 2016 champion Australians with just seconds on the clock.
