Tag: Lee Kiefer

A Kentucky Wildcat wins a second gold medal at the 2024 Olympics

Kentucky’s Lee Kiefer won her second gold medal of the 2024 Olympics on Thursday.

University of Kentucky student Lee Kiefer won fencing gold, by taking the top spot in the women’s individual foil in the Paris Olympics.

On Thursday, Kiefer was back on top of the fencing world as part of the USA’s women’s team foil, which won the gold medal. They defeated Italy, 45 – 39 in the final. It’s the first ever gold medal for the United States in women’s team foil.

The gold medal is Kiefer’s second of the 2024 games, and her third Olympic gold overall, with the other coming in the 2020 Olympics.

Related: Bam Adebayo leads Team USA to Olympic win

Kiefer’s teammates were Lauren Scruggs, who took the silver medal in individual foil, Jackie Dubrovich, and Maia Weintraub. They previously beat Canada, who lost in the Bronze medal match-up with Japan.

While a lot of Americans don’t follow fencing, Kiefer’s success is unprecedented for the United States. Congratulations to her, and Big Blue Nation is proud of what she has achieved.

Photos of former Notre Dame fencer Lee Kiefer winning team foil gold

Congrats again, Kiefer!

At the Tokyo Olympics, [autotag]Lee Kiefer[/autotag] became the first U.S. fencer to win a gold medal in an individual foil event. Now at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Kiefer, who once fenced at Notre Dame, has made more history. This time, she’s done it with her fellow Americans.

Kiefer, who already has defended her individual foil gold in these Olympics, became the most decorated fencer in U.S. history when she won the third gold of her Olympic career in the team foil event with teammates Lauren Scruggs, whom she beat for that individual foil gold, Jacqueline Dubrovich and Maia Mei Weintraub.

Kiefer and the others earned the first gold for the U.S. in the team foil event with a 45-39 victory over Italy, which came after Japan defeated Canada for the bronze. The U.S. previously won a silver in this event in 2008.

If you want to see the latest in a series of big moments for Kiefer, check out the photos below:

Former Notre Dame fencer Nick Itkin wins Olympic bronze in foil

Way to go, Nick!

Both current and former Notre Dame fencers have made quite an impact on the 2024 Olympics in Paris. [autotag]Lee Kiefer[/autotag] won her second straight gold medal in the women’s individual foil, and [autotag]Eszter Muhari[/autotag] took bronze in the women’s individual epee for Hungary. Now, we can add [autotag]Nick Itkin[/autotag] to the medal count.

Itkin, who won a bronze medal with the U.S. for the team foil during the pandemic-delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, has his first individual Olympic medal. He claimed the bronze with a 15-12 defeat of Japan’s Kazuki Iimura in the men’s individual foil. That made him the first American to medal in the event since Alexander Massialas won silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Cheung Ka Long of Hong Kong successfully defended his gold medal in this event, defeating 2016 gold medalist Daniele Garozzo of Italy. Meanwhile, [autotag]Gerek Meinhardt[/autotag], another former Irish fencer in the event and Kiefer’s husband, bowed out in the round of 16, 15-10, to Enzo Lefort of France.

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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 gold medal in the individual foil. 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.