The Fiji Women’s 7s team recorded its lowest-ever finish at the Olympic Games, concluding its campaign in last place after losing 21-15 to South Africa in the 11th place playoff.
This is a significant downturn from their previous performances, where they reached the quarterfinals in Rio 2016 and secured a bronze medal in Tokyo.
Throughout the tournament, Fijiana struggled and lost all their matches.
They narrowly missed a win against Canada with a score of 14-17, faced a heavy defeat of 40-17 against China, were dominated by New Zealand 38-7, and lost to Brazil 28-22.
In the 11th place match this morning, South Africa quickly gained the upper hand with a converted try, putting them ahead of Fiji.
Fijiana faced early setbacks, as Sesenieli Donu was penalized with a yellow card for dangerous contact, reducing Fiji to six players.
Ana Maria Naimasi soon followed Donu to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, during which time South Africa scored their second try.
By halftime, South Africa was leading 14-0. In the second half, they extended their lead with another converted try.
However, Fiji rallied impressively, with Kolora Lomani, Verenaisi Bari, and Talei Wilson each scoring unconverted tries.