Lee Kiefer of the United States, center, the women’s individual foil gold medalist, celebrates on the podium with Lauren Scruggs of the United States, left, and Eleanor Harvey of Canada, the bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
Andrew Medichini/AP
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Andrew Medichini/AP
American fencers Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs made Olympic history — both individually and together — in the women’s individual foil fencing event on Sunday.
Kiefer, 30, of Lexington, KY, won his second consecutive gold medal in Go at the Olympics after defeat Scruggs 15-6. The win made Kiefer the first American woman to win two Olympic gold medals in individual fencing.
Meanwhile, Scruggs, a 21-year-old Harvard student from Queens, New York, won her first medal — a silver — in her first Olympic appearance. She also became the first black fencer to win an Olympic medal for the United States in the women’s individual event, Related Press reported.
Together, this is the first time in Olympic history that two American women have won medals on the same podium in the women’s foil singles. The last time American fencers shared the podium was at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in the women’s foil singles.
Canadian athlete Eleanor Harvey took home the bronze medal — Canada’s first Olympic medal in fencing.
On Sunday, Kiefer said she was amazed by her accomplishment.
“I didn’t see it coming because it was a long day with a lot of ups and downs. But here we are making history, it’s amazing. Thank you to all my loved ones cheering in the United States, all my loved ones who are here, this is for you,” she said. Olympics.com.
Kiefer, who began fencing at age 5, won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In addition to fencing, Kiefer is a medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She is also married to Team USA fencing partner Gerek Meinhardt.
After Kiefer’s victory, Meinhardt written on X, “Words can’t describe how proud I am of her… I knew she could do it.”
MY AMAZING WIFE IS A CONSECUTIVE OLYMPIC CHAMPION!!!!
Words can’t describe how proud I am of her… I knew she could do it. She knew she could do it. But actually doing the damn thing, and doing it twice, in two completely different environments… pic.twitter.com/7TgudsuCRw
— Gerek Meinhardt (@GerekMeinhardt) July 28, 2024
After winning the silver medal, Scruggs said she was “more happy than disappointed” about her performance.
“I think the fact that I was here in the first place was a shock to me, so I don’t even think I had time to process the loss, if I’m honest. Just shock and so much gratitude,” she told the AP.
