Lee Kiefer won consecutive gold medals in foil fencing, while teammate Lauren Scruggs made history by winning silver on Sunday as the first black fencer to do so. Olympic She won a medal for the United States in the women’s individual event.
Keefer beat Scruggs 15-6 in the final and pirouetted down the course in celebration. He said he took the pressure off knowing the U.S. national anthem would be played after the final no matter what.
The cheering crowd at the huge Grand Palais stood in stark contrast to the silent and empty venue in Chiba, Japan. Kiefer won his first Olympic gold medal. Three years ago, under pandemic restrictions.
Fabrice Cofrini/AFP via Getty Images
Kiefer dedicated the win to Bucky Leach, his gold medal coach in Tokyo, who died in a motorcycle accident 20 days later. “He would be so happy,” Kiefer said. “This is for him. I have his picture on my wall in the village.”
Kiefer’s gold medal marks the fifth individual gold medal for a U.S. fencer, making her the only U.S. fencer to win gold medals in the same event twice, joining Mariel Zagunis in 2004 and 2008.
“Marielle, who made it before me, has been such a big part of supporting me over the last few years and making me feel valued and validated and empowered, so I just want to thank her for being that,” Kiefer said.
The last time an all-American fencing team has faced off in an Olympic final was in 2008, when Zagunis beat Sada Jacobson in the sabre to give the Americans a sweep of the podium. The last time was in 1904.
“I’m definitely happier than disappointed,” Scruggs said. “I think it was such a shock to even be here in the first place that I don’t think I even had time to accept the loss, to be honest with you. I’m just shocked and I’m just so grateful.”
Scruggs, a 21-year-old Harvard student from Queens, New York, continues to rapidly rise to the top of the fencing world.
“Maybe two years ago I really thought I was going to make the team, and then last year I made the senior team for the first time,” she said, “so to be here and win a medal is unbelievable.”
Scruggs said she wants to inspire young black fencers and show them “that there is a place for them in this sport.”
“In some places, fencing isn’t a sport,” Scruggs told NBC News after winning the silver medal, “so to anyone in those places who is interested in fencing, I would say, do what you want to do… and follow your passion.”
Kiefer is part of a highly decorated Olympic power couple.
Kiefer’s husband, Gerek Meinhardt, is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in men’s foil and will compete in two events in Paris. Kiefer and Meinhardt are medical students at the University of Kentucky who are taking time off to pursue their Olympic dreams.
Last week, Kiefer and Meinhart taught “CBS Mornings” co-hosts Nate Burleson and Tony Dukopil how to fence. “I want you guys to go into the competition with confidence that you’re athletic and that you can compete against each other,” Kiefer told them during the lesson.
Asked about the future, Kiefer reeled off the remaining events she has planned with Meinhardt in Paris: “That’s all I’m thinking about right now,” she said.
Kiefer went viral when he posted a TikTok video of himself exchanging Olympic pin badges with Stephen Curry and A’ja Wilson at the opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, Eleanor Harvey defeated Italy’s Alice Volpi 15-12 to win the bronze medal, becoming the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in fencing.
Also on Sunday, Japan’s Hiroki Kano defeated France’s Yannick Borel 15-9 to win the gold medal in the men’s epee, the first gold medal for a Japanese athlete in an individual Olympic fencing event.
Auriane Mallot-Breton lost in the women’s epee final on Saturday, forcing the cheering home crowd to settle for silver for the second day in a row.
Mohamed El-Sayed earned Egypt the bronze medal with an 8-7 overtime victory over Hungary’s Tibor Andrasfi.
