Tag: Lee Kiefer

Lee Kiefer wins a gold medal in fencing at the 2024 Olympics

Fencer Lee Kiefer win gold at the Olympics in women’s individual foil.

Fans of the Kentucky Wildcats eagerly watched Team USA win their first basketball game at the Olympics on Sunday, and many watched Team Canada and South Sudan open up with wins too. However, many may have missed Lee Kiefer getting a second gold medal in fencing.

Kiefer won her first gold medal at the 2020 Olympics and was the first American to take gold in Olympic individual foil. This year, in Paris, she has done it again, beating fellow American Lauren Scruggs 15 – 6 in the final.

Related: Previewing former Wildcats at the 2024 Olympics

The gold medalist is a medical student at Kentucky, and put her studies on hold to compete in Paris along with her husband Gerek Meinhardt. Meinhardt will compete at the Paris Olympics as well.

Kiefer, though, has won another gold, making her the first representative of the University of Kentucky to claim one. Big Blue Nation full congratulates her on a tremendous accomplishment, and wishes good luck to Meinhardt.

Photos of former Notre Dame fencer Lee Kiefer winning second gold

Back-to-back for Lee!

[autotag]Lee Kiefer[/autotag] made history at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She became the first U.S. fencer, male or female, to win a medal in the individual foil, taking the gold. A few years later at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, she’s proven she’s not ready to give that gold medal up.

Kiefer won her second individual foil gold medal in as many Olympics. The former Notre Dame fencer did so by defeating fellow U.S. fencer Lauren Scruggs, 15-6. Scruggs is the first U.S. fencer to win a silver in this event. The bronze went to Canada’s Eleanor Harvey.

Kiefer became the second U.S. fencer to win two individual Olympic golds, joining two-time sabre gold medalist Mariel Zagunis. And she did in front of husband and fellow former Notre Dame fencer [autotag]Gerek Meinhardt[/autotag] 24 hours ahead of his own quest for an individual foil medal.

If you missed Kiefer’s historic day, take a look at these photos:

Former Notre Dame fencer makes U.S. Olympic history

History is made in Tokyo

Former Notre Dame fencer Lee Kiefer had already made U.S. Olympic history, she was set to become the first individual foil fencer, man or woman,  to win an Olympic medal. The question was which medal would Kiefer win.

Early this morning Kiefer did what no other U.S. athlete in the history of fencing had been able to do, take home a Gold medal. She defeated the Rio reigning gold medalist, Russian Inna Deriglazova.

It wasn’t easy for Kiefer, as Deriglazova came back late down three points to tie the score at twelve, but the Notre Dame alum didn’t get flustered and eventually defeated one of the best in the world.

A huge moment for the Kiefer and the U.S. Olympic fencing team. Her accomplishments in Tokyo will be remembered for a very long time in Notre Dame and U.S. history.