Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Andrew Gastelum

Lee Kiefer Celebrates Back-to-Back Gold Medals in Historic Day for U.S. Fencing

Lee Kiefer became the first U.S. woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in fencing. | Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY Sports

Lee Kiefer was made for fencing greatness.

Her father, who introduced her to the sport, captained the Duke fencing team in the 1980s. Her sister Alexandra was an NCAA fencing champion in 2011. At 17, she won the first of her seven world championship medals and her trophy cabinet also includes five NCAA championship titles from her time at Notre Dame. She was also the first U.S. women’s fencer to earn a No. 1 world ranking in foil. Then her career reached the Olympic summit in 2021 with a gold in Tokyo.

But on Sunday at the Grand Palais, built in Paris in 1900 to glorify French art, Kiefer drafted her chef-d'œuvre. The 30-year-old dominated the competition to win Olympic gold, becoming the first U.S. woman to win back-to-back gold medals in foil.

Lee Kiefer Defends Gold in Historic All-U.S. Women’s Foil Final at Paris 2024

“No matter how much I tried to prepare, there's still so much pressure I put on myself to just fence well and stay present," Kiefer said on Sunday. "Each day was a rollercoaster, but here we are at the top.”

It was a big day for U.S. fencing all around. Across from Kiefer in the gold-medal match was American compatriot Lauren Scruggs, marking the first time in 124 years that Team USA had won multiple medals in women’s foil. Appearing in her first Olympics, the 21-year-old Scruggs won four matches of her own to reach the final, becoming the first Black woman to medal for U.S. fencing after winning an NCAA championship at Harvard.

Scruggs and Kiefer
Scruggs and Kiefer waved their American flags as they celebrated their medals with their coaches. | Yukihito Taguchi/USA TODAY Sports

In the end, Kiefer prevailed, 15–6, to add to her Olympic legacy, while Scruggs made it clear that her career is just getting started. The duo could yet add to their haul in Paris when they join forces in the team foil event later this week.

For Kiefer, there is even more at stake at the Grand Palais this week. Her husband, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Gerek Meinhardt, is also competing for the U.S. fencing team in Paris. They both also attend medical school at the University of Kentucky.

“It's so special to have my family [here], all my best friends who I haven't even seen," Kiefer said. "I tried to spot them in the crowd. But it makes it so much fuller."


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lee Kiefer Celebrates Back-to-Back Gold Medals in Historic Day for U.S. Fencing.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.