The teammates of Jade Ulutule and Séraphine Okemba had fallen in the semi-final against powerful New Zealanders (38-7), double reigning world champions and gold medalists in Tokyo, suddenly giving up hope of finishing competition for first or even second place.
They then "did the job" wonderfully during the "little final", against Americans quickly overwhelmed by the ease of the Habs.
At the break, the Bleues, vice-world champions in title, already led 12-0 thanks to two tries from the young (18 years old) Toulouse Lili Dezou, her first in selection.
In the second period, they added a third by Lille's Alycia Christiaens, 21, in response to an American try signed Naya Tapper.
The fourth try was the work of Joanna Grisez, who had qualified her teammates for the semi-final, in added time against Fiji (19-14), in the quarterfinals on Saturday evening.
Finally, it was Toulouse's Iän Jason who flattened the fifth and last try of Les Bleues at the very end of the game.
"We were very disappointed after this semi-final defeat against New Zealand, and we didn't want to go home without a medal, reacted after the meeting the French Chloé Pelle. We did it, and this match looks like us".
"Now we look to our next goal: the Paris Olympics in 2024," added the Chilly Mazarin player.
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In the men's tournament, Paulin Riva's teammates did not have the same journey: they finished the competition in 6th place, failing in their last meeting of the World Cup against Argentina (10-7), medalist of bronze in Tokyo.
The Blues however led at the break (7-5) thanks to a try from Toulouse Nelson Epée, transformed by Clermontois Jean-Pascal Barraque.
But in the second period, after a try from the Pumas, this same Jean-Pascal failed to flatten in the in-goal a try that seemed to be made for the French.
The Tricolores, who had failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, therefore did not do better than the fifth place acquired during the 1997, 2005 and 2013 editions of the World Rugby Sevens.
© 2022 AFP