Alev Kelter, Team USA women’s rugby team advances to semis after win over Great Britain
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Team USA women’s rugby squad is on their way to the 2024 Paris Olympics semifinal round after a 17-7 victory over Great Britain on Monday.
Led by strong performances of Kristi Kirshe, Naya Tapper, Sammy Sullivan, and Kayla Cannett, the third-year squad is now just one win away from securing the lineup’s first medal in team history.
The Eagles placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in the last two Olympic Games following the discipline’s return to the event.
This news comes after Team USA finished pool play with a 2-1 record. The U.S. defeated Brazil 24-5 and Japan 36-7 before falling to host nation France 31-14, with Alev Kelter drawing viral status online thanks to a huge stiff arm play.
Following the victory Sunday, the Eagles now await a matchup with reigning gold medal team New Zealand.
The Americans and New Zealand will face off Tuesday morning with a 5:30 a.m. Alaska start time. The game will be broadcast on NBC and streamed live on Peacock.
Should the Eagles pull off the Tuesday upset, the team would be locked into a podium finish. The winner of Tuesday’s matchup will face off against either Australia or Canada in the gold medal match later in the day, scheduled for 9:45 a.m.
Team USA could also still medal with a loss as the losers of both matchups will still compete for a bronze medal.
A former Chugiak Mustang, Kelter grew up in Eagle River. Playing both hockey and soccer for the University of Wisconsin before taking her talents to the rugby pitch in 2014, she has since competed in both the 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Kelter said that this year in Paris could be her last on the Olympic stage.
“I really want to cherish every moment, soak it up with the girls. We’ve been training for the last six years together and [have] really created some amazing memories,” Kelter said in a June interview. “We’re sitting in fourth or third place right now, and we have a huge opportunity to be in a medal contention spot.”
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