PARIS: Defending champions New Zealand will play the United States in the Olympic Sevens semi-finals, but the French's hopes of a double rugby gold were dashed by defeat to Canada at the Stade de France on Monday.
Another partisan, near sell-out crowd of 66,000 packed the Stade de France, mainly to watch the French team Antoine Dupont and the men's team on their mission to claim gold.
But there was disappointment as the Canadians pulled out a 19-14 victory to advance to the semi-finals against Australia.
The Australians beat Ireland 40-7 in their quarter, with Madison Levy scoring a hat-trick and setting a new Olympic record of 11 tries, beating Portia Woodman-Wickliffe's previous best of 10 in 2016.
Piper Logan opened the scoring for Canada against France, breaking away from the scrum for a fine individual try, converted by Chloe Daniels.
But the home side, roared on by the raucous crowd, leveled at the half-time whistle, Ian Jason missing for the try.
Yoline Yengo converted it and Lily Dejou took the lead with her own try after a double tackle.
But Logan converted her second identikit, a try, by captain Olivia Epps to make it 14 points each with three minutes to play.
Daniels dashed French hopes when she fired an unguarded blindside shot for Canada's third try.
New Zealand, gold medalists at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, cruised to a comprehensive 55-5 win over China and will play the USA, 17-7 winners over Britain.
They were on the scoreboard 30 seconds in, veteran Sara Hirini finishing off a break by Theresa Setefano.
But China roared again, Yang Feifei beckoned down the line. When Hirini was yellow-carded for a head-high tackle, the Chinese made the numerical advantage pay as Hu Yu outran the stretched defense for the try.
There was no fear from New Zealand, who scored eight tries without reply.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Michaela Blyde and five-pointers for global rugby legend Woodman-Wickliffe, in her third and final Olympics, made it 24-5 at half-time.
Blyde crossed for her seventh try of the tournament early in the second period, followed by four more in quick succession from Felix-Hotham, Mahina Paul (2) and Hirini.
New Zealand's trans-Tasman rivals Australia, winners of the 2016 Rio Games, got off to a strong start against Ireland.
Levy scored a hat-trick in the first half as Australia won 19-14 on Monday in the final between the two sides.
Faith Nathan made it 26-0 at half-time with Isabella Nasser and Biene Terita adding two sides to Irish consolation tries from Stacey Flood.
Britain took the lead in their quarter through Ellie Boatman, the US responded with a new taper after a strong break from TikTok star Ilona Maher.
Maher got to America's second on the stroke of half-time, but was denied by a superb Jasmine Joyce tackle.
Kristy Kirche got that American second, though early in the second half, Sammy Sullivan ended Britain's medal hopes and put the US into the final four for the first time.
Brazil had a memorable 28-22 win over Fiji, bronze medalists at the Tokyo Olympics, in the play-offs for the lower places.
Raquel Kochan scored four tries, including an injury-time winner, with a zinc and sprint from her own line, the conversion setting up a play-off against Japan for ninth place.
