VICTORIA - The University of Victoria Vikes and Canadian rugby celebrated a remarkable milestone Tuesday, as Carissa Norsten and alumnae Krissy Scurfield and Shalaya Valenzuela made Olympic history. The trio helped Canada's women's sevens team clinch an Olympic silver medal, winning not just a place on the podium but the hearts of an entire nation.

Based in Langford, the Canadian women's national sevens team will return home from Paris adorned with silver after a hard-fought gold-medal final against top-ranked New Zealand. Despite a gutsy performance, they fell just short to the reigning gold medalists, losing 19-12.

In what might be the biggest underdog story of these Games, Canada's path to the final was paved with back-to-back upset wins that stunned both the fans in the stands and the commentators in the booth. Their unexpected surge at Stade de France began Monday, toppling the host nation in a thrilling match.

In front of a record-setting 70,000 fans, Canada shocked a third-ranked French squad and advanced to the semifinal match, where they faced a top-ranked powerhouse team from Australia. Despite a blazing hot start by the Aussies, the Canadians fought back, weathering the storm and shocking the favourites with a 21-12 upset.
 
For Vikes standout, 21-year-old Carissa Norsten, it was a dream turned reality she could hardly comprehend.

"The last few days have been absolutely surreal. To have an Olympic medal is a dream come true. I'm proud to be repping the Vikes at the Olympics," said Norsten.

After facing a heartbreaking injury that kept her out of the final matches, Scurfield's teammates proudly carried her number nine jersey onto the pitch, showcasing her importance to the team's epic podium run.

With the three silver medals, the Vikes' all-time Olympic medal haul rises to 77, dating back to 1984, when Vikes athletes won 11 medals at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
 

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