USA Rugby and 406 MT Sports
USA Rugby announced the selection of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Olympic Rugby Sevens Team on Monday that will compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games July 28-30, 2024.
Co-captains Lauren Doyle and Naya Tapper lead the team as they pursue the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens’ first Olympic medal, 100 years after the USA won last Olympic gold in rugby. The USA finished fifth and sixth at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, respectively.
Team USA and Whitefish’s Nicole Heavirland finish sixth in Tokyo Olympic rugby sevens
The team is composed of 12 starting athletes and two traveling reserves, with a mix of new and veteran Olympians. Alev Kelter and Lauren Doyle will make their third Olympic appearances, while Kayla Canett, Kristi Kirshe, Ilona Maher, Ariana Ramsey, and Naya Tapper will be heading to their second Olympic Games. Alena Olsen, Spiff Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan, Sarah Levy, and Steph Rovetti will otherwise celebrate making their first Olympic appearance. Traveling reserves and 2020 Olympians Kris Thomas and Nicole Heavirland will also join the team in Paris.
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Nicole Heavirland spent years preparing for the moment she can call herself an Olympian
Heavirland, who is from Whitefish, also served as a traveling reserve during the 2016 Rio Olympics as well.
2024
USA Rugby
Head coach Emilie Bydwell and high performance staff selected the team.
The Eagles will leave July 14 for a pre-Olympic training camp in Tours, France before entering the Olympic Village in Paris. Competition kicks off July 28, live on Peacock and the NBC networks. Pools will be announced by World Rugby on June 23.
“We are very excited about this team, we have an excellent blend of speed, power, work ethic, skill, and creativity that we know will ignite our brand of rugby. The players compliment each other extremely well, enabling individuals to express their strengths and simultaneously bring out the super powers of those around them and the team,” Bydwell said in the release.
Whole squad’s ready
#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/0PBlAPWjtj
— USA Rugby (@USARugby) June 18, 2024
“Throughout the year, we’ve maintained a training environment with 23 dedicated players. This has created a high level of both competition and pressure, which has been instrumental in preparing the team and refining our final selection of the 14 athletes who will represent our program in July. We want to not only congratulate those selected, but thank the Highwomen that have contributed to the position that this team is in now.”
Heavirland trains with the team at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California and has 39 caps with the national team. She’s also represented the U.S. at three Rugby World Cups (2017, 2018 and 2022) in addition to the Tokyo Olympics.
“As we approach the final stages of preparation, our focus is on refining every aspect of our game. We are particularly emphasizing mental flexibility and resilience, knowing these qualities will be critical in Paris. Our goal is not just to compete, but to move the jersey forward, leaving a legacy for those to follow and to deliver a performance that inspires American fans,” Bydwell said.
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Publish date : 2024-06-22 16:29:20
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Author : News-Sports
Publish date : 2024-06-22 20:29:20
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.