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US women win a first Olympic medal in rugby sevens with comeback victory over Australia

US women win a first Olympic medal in rugby sevens with comeback victory over Australia
My grandma. Um she uh immigrated here from Turkey and uh her name is also Lela. We have three generations of Lela represented here. She's 96 years old and made the trek out to Paris to come watch. Um And so yeah, she's my high woman and she models to me um how to be confident, how to, not be afraid and to not be afraid of the word. No, that there's *** lot of setbacks in life and to persevere and yeah, I'm grateful that she's in my life. I do *** lot of things to make my family proud and they're *** big part of what, you know, I talks about *** y they're *** big part of my Y and I did, uh my dad was *** rugby guy. My mom was *** nurse, my mom's *** nurse. And so I kind of, I went to nursing and I did rich nse school and I did rugby. So um I do *** lot of the things for them and I think so when I'm out there playing with all this attention I've been getting, I just wanna play for my teammates and I wanna play for my mom and my sisters and, and my family. So my mom being one as well, somebody who's taught me the importance of being self sufficient, um independent, resilient and strong minded, being confident in my voice. Um No matter who I'm having *** conversation with. And then on the sports side, Serena Williams, just around the body, body positivity aspect. I think she was the first woman who um put in my head. That muscles were *** beautiful thing for women. So, um that's another high woman for me. Obviously, the first one's probably someone you hold close to you, like your grandma or your mom, something like that. But on the funner side, I did mine on Taylor Swift. Not because I'm swifty at all. I'm not. Um But we respect Taylor Swift. Hashtag We don't want those we also have on the team, but I thought that what she did to get uh to like turn around the whole business philosophy of the songs and, you know, rewriting them and, and getting them like *** big, you know, screw you to her, uh her first production company. Um I just thought that was amazing and I didn't know that about her. And if we wouldn't have had the High Woman project, I wouldn't have actually did some research and we got to know Taylor Swift *** little bit better. She is *** tough, tough woman. Um She's also was the one I looked up to and in terms of fitness. Um One of my biggest values is being, you know, fit and she is that to me, um, she's very patient and, and just like I said, the strongest woman I know and I look up to her. I also chose um Alison Felix as my other high woman. Um, *** picture that comes to mind is her holding her baby *** T the Olympic trials. And that to me just is so powerful um to see uh such *** competitor and still be able to have *** kid and still compete. Um Thanks to her, we have *** nursery *** T the Olympic village. So um just, yeah, she's ***, she's my high woman and I look up to her just and hope one day to have *** baby and still compete.
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US women win a first Olympic medal in rugby sevens with comeback victory over Australia
Alex Sedrick ran most of 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 on Tuesday.The 2016 champion Australians were leading 12-7 with seconds remaining and deep in U.S. territory. The ball went to Sedrick and she bumped off two tacklers before racing all the way to the other end to score and spark jubilation for the Americans.The U.S. women reached the Olympic semifinals for the first time and lost to defending champion New Zealand. That made the playoff for a third a case of winning a medal or going home without.The Americans rushed onto the field to celebrate the 14-12 victory. Sammy Sullivan was in tears. Ilona Maher raised both arms up in triumph.Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." blared over the stadium speakers.The U.S. women had to wait until after the final between New Zealand and Canada to take their place on the podium.

Alex Sedrick ran most of 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 on Tuesday.

The 2016 champion Australians were leading 12-7 with seconds remaining and deep in U.S. territory. The ball went to Sedrick and she bumped off two tacklers before racing all the way to the other end to score and spark jubilation for the Americans.

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The U.S. women reached the Olympic semifinals for the first time and lost to defending champion New Zealand. That made the playoff for a third a case of winning a medal or going home without.

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 30: Ilona Maher #2 of Team United States is put under pressure by Jazmin Felix-Hotham #9 of Team New Zealand during the Women&apos&#x3B;s Rugby Sevens Semifinal match between Team New Zealand and Team United States on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Michael Steele
Ilona Maher, No. 2 of Team USA, is put under pressure by Jazmin Felix-Hotham, No. 9 of Team New Zealand, during the women’s rugby sevens semifinal match on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 30, 2024.

The Americans rushed onto the field to celebrate the 14-12 victory. Sammy Sullivan was in tears. Ilona Maher raised both arms up in triumph.

Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." blared over the stadium speakers.

The U.S. women had to wait until after the final between New Zealand and Canada to take their place on the podium.