American football may not be in the 2024 Olympics, but Ilona Maher gave her best impression of the sport during the USA’s rugby sevens matchup against Japan.
It came on Maher’s first carry of the game. She took the ball and swept to the right side of the field, stretching out Japan’s defense and creating some space for herself to advance the ball.
Eventually, Maher was surrounded by three Japanese defenders, as one ran from behind to get in the American attacker’s way. Maher made quick work of her opponent, delivering a vicious stiff arm to her and tossing her to the ground before accelerating forward into open space to score a try.
ILONA MAHER COMING THROUGH. 💥#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/Im8JPa5WPs
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 28, 2024
Maher’s big play quickly went viral on social media among NFL fans starved for content with the preseason around the corner. Many compared the rugby star’s run to Marshawn Lynch’s legendary “Beastquake” run, during which he ran through several members of New Orleans’ defense.
Big marshawn lynch energy! pic.twitter.com/YPx3zVTGa7
— 🔥Harris2024🔥 (@BaseballGeek72) July 28, 2024
Others noted that Maher’s overall running style was more reminiscent of the powerful, upright Derrick Henry. That led them to bring up Henry’s stiff arm against Josh Norman, during which the former Titans star tossed Norman to the ground like a rag doll.
@KingHenry_2 would be proud!! pic.twitter.com/vd9j9x0aP3
— Wayne Begarly (@Wayne_Begarly) July 28, 2024
It’s easy to understand why sports fans embraced Maher’s play, regardless of the comparison you prefer.
But who exactly is Maher? Here’s what to know about Team USA’s rugby star as tries to help the United States earn a rugby medal for the first time in its history.
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Who is Ilona Maher?
Maher is a 27-year-old player for the USA rugby sevens team. She began playing rugby during high school and played it for a year at Norwich University before being recruited to Quinnipiac. She won three rugby championships with the Bobcats and also played rugby sevens with the Scion Rugby Academy.
Maher’s strong performance got her noticed by the U.S. national rugby team, for whom she debuted in 2018. She is playing in her second Olympics in 2024 after participating in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Maher has played in 154 career rugby sevens matches, per SVNS.com. She has scored 64 tries and a total of 320 points in those contests.
Maher earned a nursing degree from Quinnipiac and has a master’s in business administration from DeVry University.
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How tall is Ilona Maher?
Maher stands 5-10, making her taller than many of her competitors. She has been outspoken about body positivity and posted a video to her social media in 2022 highlighting her comfort in her body.
“Hey everyone, just your monthly reminder that this is the body of a professional athlete,” Maher said in the clip, where she does a 360-degree rotation around her camera. “This is the body of an Olympian. It’s not perfect. It’s not completely lean, it’s not completely toned, but this body is amazing, and it does amazing things for me.”
Maher certainly is an amazing talent; and if the United States has any hope of medaling in rugby sevens at the 2024 Olympics, they’ll need her to continue making plays like the one she made against Japan.
