PARIS: Defending champions New Zealand will meet the United States in the semi-finals of the Olympic rugby sevens tournament but France's hopes of a double gold medal in rugby were dashed after they were beaten by Canada at the Stade de France on Monday.
A crowd of almost 66,000 cheering for other teams packed the Stade de France to watch the French team emulate Antoine Dupont and his men's team in winning the gold medal.
But there was disappointment when Team Canada won 19-14 and advanced to the semifinals to meet Australia.
Australia beat Ireland 40-7 in their quarters, with Maddison Levy scoring a hat-trick to set a new women's record with 11 points at the Olympics, breaking Portia Woodman-Wyliffe's 10-point record at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Piper Logan opened the scoring for Canada against France, running away from close range and scoring a beautiful goal, before Chloe Daniels completed the scoring.
But the home side, who were cheering loudly, managed to equalise at half-time with Ian Jason running out to score.
Yolen Yenko scored and had another chance to take the lead after Lily Desu successfully intercepted a double tackle.
But Logan ran out to score his second, with captain Olivia Apps scoring 14 points each with three minutes left to play.
Daniels dashed France's hopes when she blasted a shot from the unguarded sideline, giving Canada their third try.
New Zealand, the gold medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Games, which were postponed due to COVID-19, beat China 55-5 and will now face the United States, who beat England 17-7.
They were on the scoreboard in just 30 seconds when the experienced Sarah Hirini finished off a break from Teresa Setefano.
But China roared back, Yang Feifei pulling the ball down the line to call for a goal. When Hirini was booked for a header, China took advantage of their number of players, as Hu Yu was able to overtake the stretched defenders to score.
There was no panic from New Zealand, who scored eight points without a response.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Michaela Blyde and world rugby legend Woodman-Wickliffe, who scored five points in her third and final Olympics, took her tally to 24-5 at half-time.
Blind made his seventh successful point of the match early in the second half, followed by four more from Felix-Hotham, Mahina Paul (2) and Hirini, which became a parade of cards.
Australia, New Zealand's rivals from Tasmania, the winners of the 2016 Rio Olympics, have made a strong start to their season against Ireland.
Levy scored a first-half hat trick in Monday's replay of the two teams' final group stage match, which Australia won 19-14.
Faith Nathan crossed the line to make it 26-0 at half-time before Isabella Nasser and Bianne Terita added two more goals on Stacey Flood's consolation goal for the Irish.
England took an early lead in the quarter through Ellie Boatman, while the US responded with Naya Tapper after a strong turnaround from TikTok star Ilona Maher.
It looked like Maher might play for the USA in the second half, but Jasmine Joyce's superb tackle gave her the winning goal.
However, Christie Kersh scored America's second early in the second half, followed by Sammy Sullivan, who ended Britain's medal hopes and sent the US into the last four for the first time.
In the playoff for the semifinals, Brazil defeated Fiji, the team that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Games, 28-22.
Raquel Kochhan scored four times, including the winner in stoppage time, with a feint and a dive from her own line. The conversion helped the team reach a playoff against Japan for ninth place.
