US women’s rugby team wins bronze medal on epic final play
US women’s rugby athlete Alex Sedrick performed the juke of a lifetime on Tuesday to help her squad attain a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The US squad was on its last legs with seconds to play in their battle for third against Australia at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Sedrick, who is known to her team as “Spiff,” caught a lateral pass deep in her own team’s end zone in a must-score situation.
Sedrick deked one Australian defender with a nasty fake then rammed right past another to create a huge opening. Spiff got loose with five seconds on the clock and ran the length of the field for a try. The surreal finish secured the US a 14-12 victory and a bronze medal.
A FINISH YOU HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE! 😱
ALEX SEDRICK LEADS TEAM USA TO THE FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC RUGBY SEVENS MEDAL FOR THE UNITED STATES ON THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME! 🥉 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1FMu9SWxDo
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024
Both sides were in tears after the result became final. The US squad cried tears of joy, while the Australians were left in disbelief after letting an Olympic medal slip away in such brutal fashion.
The podium finish was Team USA’s first ever in Olympic Rugby Sevens. It was also their first medal in any Olympic rugby event since 1924.
Sedrick’s heroics secured herself a spot in US Olympic lore. The quadrennial event always births new cultural icons and heroes exactly for moments like the one above. The 2024 Paris edition has been no exception.
