"It’s been very tough" - Ilona Maher highlights her teammates' post-Olympic challenges as they face comedown after the games

Ilona Maher recently brought attention to the emotional struggles her teammates face while navigating the post-Olympic comedown. She recognized that while they have achieved the glorious feat, the transition to normal routine is difficult to adjust.

Ilona Maher along with her United States team, bagged a bronze medal in the women's rugby sevens event at the Paris Olympics. Following the achievement, she has been navigating a tight schedule, including attending the opening day of the Delta One Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport, and making an appearance on reality show "Dancing with the Stars."

In an interview with People, Maher stated that while she is engaged in post-Olympic activities, her teammates are struggling with the aftermath. Speaking about herself, she stated that the experience from the Tokyo Games has equipped her to handle the post-Olympic lows.

“I’ve been chatting with some of my teammates about it. I think their comedown is going to be tough, but I maybe was more experienced because I went through the Tokyo comedown,” she said.

“This one, we won a medal, but for some of my teammates, it’s been very tough. I think it’ll be tough [for me] once the hype does die down a little bit, whenever that is. Because right now, whatever I’m doing is bigger than just 15 minutes and I think I create something with it. So I’m just trying to really enjoy it, but also not get overwhelmed, which is tough," Maher added.

"We call it rose gold" - Ilona Maher reveals the confidential name the American women's rugby seven's team have for their Paris Olympics bronze medal

Ilona Maher of United States during the women's pool C rugby sevens match between France and United States during the 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France in Paris, France. (Image Source: Getty Images)

The 2024 American women's rugby sevens team etched its name in history by clinching their first-ever medal in the event. It was the first rugby Olympics medal for the United States in a century since their gold-winning exploits in Paris 1924.

The Americans qualified for the quarterfinals after finishing second in their group behind France and ahead of Japan and Brazil. Here, they beat Great Britain 17-7 to book their place in the semifinals, where eventual gold medalists New Zealand beat them. The United States salvaged bronze by edging out Australia 14-12.

In an interview with People, Ilona Maher took pride in the team's groundbreaking performance, stating the bronze medal win felt like a gold medal victory. She also revealed that the team preferred to call the medal "rose gold."

“We truly changed the game in Paris and did something so monumental,” Ilona Maher said. “We just got a bronze, but honestly, it felt like a gold. And I think even some people, whenever they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re the gold medalist,’ I’m like, ‘Nope just got a bronze.’ But people, people of the reaction to it and because of how amazing it was, it seems like a gold ... We call it rose gold, actually. It's our rose gold."

The American squad achieved this feat by scoring a decisive lead of 14-12 against the Australian team.