Fiji wins its first ever Olympic medal — and it's gold

Fiji rugby players celebrate their gold medal victory.
(Image credit: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)

Fiji won its first ever Olympic medal Thursday in Rio after the men's rugby sevens team defeated Great Britain 43-7 to take home the gold.

The powerhouse team beat New Zealand in the quarterfinals, 12-7, and Japan, 20-5, in the semis, before easily sailing through its match against Great Britain. Fiji has sent athletes to the Summer Games since 1956, and three competitors have even made it to the Winter Olympics, but this is the country's first ever medal of any kind. Great Britain received the silver medal, and South Africa the bronze.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.