Rio de Janeiro, Aug 9: An unbeatable Australia took the gold medal as the first-ever Olympic champion in the women's rugby sevens category by defeating New Zealand, its toughest rival, 24-17 in an exciting final in which the technical excellence of the Wallabies won the day.

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The Australian victory was the result of four tries by four different players, a show of versatility by the best-rounded team of the tourney, which now adds an Olympic title to the Rugby World Cup it won this year.

Australia's superiority was evident throughout and with just four minutes left in the game boasted a 19-point lead over its rival. Only because the Wallabies seemed to kick back and relax were the Kiwis able to attain a more respectable final score.

Things were very different at the start with New Zealand looking like the powerhouse, but the fortunes of the two teams turned around as Australia's physical power set the pace and gave it a halftime 10-5 lead and the eventual 24-17 victory.

The bronze medal was won by Canada in a one-sided match that ended with a 33-10 blitz of Britain.

IANS