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Alena Olsen

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Alena Olsen
Date of birth (1995-12-06) December 6, 1995 (age 29)
Place of birthGrand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight139 lb (63 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrumhalf, Flyhalf
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
 United States 53 (43 pts)
Medal record
Women's rugby sevens
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Team competition
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto Team competition

Alena Olsen (/əˈleɪnə/ ə-LAY-nə; born December 6, 1995)[1] is an American rugby sevens player. She captains the Headliners women's team in the Premier Rugby Sevens competition.[2]

In 2021, Olsen and some of her teammates released a video that urged fans to sign the Global Climate Pledge, an initiative by the United States Green Chamber of Commerce.[3][4]

Olsen competed for the United States at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[5][6] They lost to France in the bronze medal final and finished fourth overall.[7][8]

In 2024, Olsen competed for the United States in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she and her team won a bronze medal, a first for Team USA Rugby Sevens.[9][10]

Rugby career

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College career

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Prior to starting her career at the University of Michigan at the age of 18, Olsen never played rugby before. One day on campus she attended a practice and was hooked. At Michigan, she earned All-American honors (2015, 2016) and was nominated to the Collegiate Rugby Championship Dream Team (2016, 2017).[11]

National Sevens Career

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Olsen made her USA Rugby debut in Glendale 7s (2019) where the United States won the tournament, defeating Australia 26-7 in the final. Olsen also played in the 2022 Rugby World Cup (7s) in Cape Town, South Africa. The U.S. finished the tournament in fourth, falling to France in the bronze medal match.[8]

Olsen participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she and her team won a bronze medal, a first for Team USA Rugby Sevens.[9][10]

Premier Rugby Sevens

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2021

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Olsen has been playing with the Headliners of Premier Rugby Sevens since the inaugural tournament in 2021. The Headliners nearly clinched the first-ever PR7s Women's Championship but fell 28-14, to the Loonies in the Finals.

2022

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The Headliners and Olsen had an impressive 2022 campaign, notching two tournament wins, including the PR7s Championship in Austin, Texas. The Headliners fell in the first stop of the circuit in San Jose where the Loggerheads hoisted the first trophy of the season. The Headliners came back to win the next two tournaments. Their first win in Washington D.C., started a 4-tournament winning streak which extended into the 2023 season.

The Women's Championship wasn't the only trophy the team earned that season. The men's and women's Headliners won the first-ever United Championship.

2023

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Olsen played in all three tournaments the Southern Headliners participated in that season, aiding the team to four wins and two losses. The Headliners picked up right where left left off in Austin, clinching the first tournament win of the season after defeating the New York Locals, 21-12.[12]

The second stop of the circuit was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the Headliners dominated once again. After topping the Texas Team 20-19, the Headliners faced the Locals in the Finals. The Headliners continued their dominance against the Locals, winning 12-7. After accumulating the most points in the Eastern Conference, the Southern Headliners advanced to the Championship in Washington, D.C.[13]

At the Championship, the Locals crushed the Headliners' hot streak, eliminating them from the title match. After an impressive start to the season, the Headliners ended the year in fourth place after falling, 10-7 to the Rocky Mountain Experts in the third-place match.

Statistics

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Team Season GP Tries Points Tackles Carries
Southern Headliners 2023 6 1 9 14 15

References

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  1. ^ "OLSEN Alena". 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "Premier Rugby Sevens all set to return in San Jose". Americas Rugby News. July 9, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  3. ^ "Alena Olsen, Rugby (USA)". EcoAthletes. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  4. ^ "Alena Olsen fights climate change". Planet Sevens. April 24, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  5. ^ "USA names rosters for Sevens World Cup". Americas Rugby News. September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  6. ^ Cahill, Calder (September 1, 2022). "Women's Eagles Sevens target podium chase as roster is named for the Rugby World Cup Sevens". eagles.rugby. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Kortemeier, Todd (September 11, 2022). "U.S. Women Finish Fourth, Men 11th At Rugby World Cup Sevens". teamusa.org. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Cahill, Calder (September 11, 2022). "USA Women's Sevens fall just short of bronze at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022". eagles.rugby. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Pye, John. "U.S. women, Caledonia's Olsen win first Olympic medal in rugby sevens". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Murphy, Mary Ellen. "West Michigan's Alena Olsen Wins Bronze in Women's Rugby Sevens at Paris Olympics". WGHN. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  11. ^ "Alena Olsen | Player Profile | USA Eagles". eagles.rugby. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "Record Crowd Sees Headliners and Team Triumph in Austin | Premier Rugby Sevens". www.prsevens.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "Rugby Superstars Ascend on Washington, DC, for Premier Rugby Sevens Championship on Aug. 6 | Premier Rugby Sevens". www.prsevens.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
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