PARIS, France — A historic moment you have to see to believe.
In a stunning last second score, the U.S. women defeated Australia to win the country's first ever rugby sevens medal -- a bronze -- on Tuesday.
Australia, the 2016 champion, was up 12-7 and had the ball deep in U.S. territory with just seconds left.
Alex Sedrick stiff armed Teagan Levi to the ground before running most of the length of the field in stoppage time to score, giving Team USA a 14-12 victory in Paris.
The remarkable victory came over a team favored to win a medal in Paris and sparked a joyous celebration on the field. Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." could be heard playing through the stadium as the team came together.
The American women's appearance in the semifinal match, which they lost to defending champion New Zealand, was also a first for U.S. men and women in rugby sevens.
The U.S. women rugby players have become one of the darlings of the game. Ilona Maher has reached millions of people across the country and world with her TikToks and Instagram reels about life at the Olympics, women's empowerment and body positivity, and overall authenticity.
Between the two platforms, she has more than 3.6 million followers.
Combine that fan excitement about women's rugby with the best performance in team and country history, and you have a storybook ending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
