FEATURED: Working towards Tokyo
<p>Whitefish native Nicole Heavirland relaxes after returning from the Rio Olympic Games where she was part of the United States' rugby sevens team that finished fifth. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Nicole Heavirland was on the sidelines for all six of the United States’ women’s rugby sevens matches in Rio de Janeiro.
As an injury reserve on a team that didn’t receive any major injuries, Heavirland never made an Olympic appearance as the U.S. placed fifth in the first ever women’s rugby competition at the Summer Games.
That didn’t stop her from enjoying the Olympic experience and soaking up her time around Team USA.
The Olympics officially end tonight with closing ceremonies at Rio’s Maracana Stadium.
“I got to meet a lot of cool athletes. I got to see the U.S. take gold in gymnastics for women. It was a good experience,” Heavirland said while relaxing at home in Montana.
Exhausted after three days of rugby in hot and humid conditions, training at full speed in case she was needed to fill in, Heavirland decided against her original plan of watching more rugby, as the men competed during her final three days in Brazil.
She said she instead enjoyed the opportunity to be around the world’s greatest athletes.
“I went to Christ the Redeemer (the famous statue of Jesus overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro). I went to a Brazilian steakhouse, Copacabana Beach,” Heavirland said.
“Meeting all the other athletes (was the best experience). Hearing their stories. Seeing athletes I grew up watching on TV. Them just being casually in the dining hall or going up the same elevator as me.
“I got to see Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and got to meet a couple of the wrestlers.”
Back in the real world after a frantic eight months of preparation for the Olympics, Heavirland said she will spend the next few weeks relaxing before applying to schools on the West Coast for rugby. She spent her first two collegiate seasons as the leading scorer at Army West Point before departing the academy to train at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California.
“I’ll be looking to re-apply to schools in the California area to continue my training and get an education,” Heavirland said.
At 21, Heavirland is likely a big part of the future of USA Rugby. She was the second-youngest member of the U.S. women’s rugby team this season and came off the bench in two of the five World Series stops for the Eagles, scoring a try against Fiji at a stop in western Canada.
Rugby will be played again at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, with its status beyond those games yet to be determined.