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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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:

Notre Dame fencer Eszter Muhari wins Olympic bronze for Hungary

Congrats, Eszter!

Notre Dame fencing fans have plenty to cheer for during the 2024 Olympics. In fact, four of the 10 current or former Notre Dame athletes competing in Paris are fencers. But Irish fencers are representing more than one country, and that already has paid off.

[autotag]Eszter Muhari[/autotag] skipped her sophomore season with the Irish to train for Hungary’s Olympic team. On the first full day of competition, she earned a bronze medal in the individual epee with a 15-14 overtime victory over Nelli Differt of Estonia. She trailed, 12-10, during the third period before pulling off a come-from-behind victory in a match that lasted 19 minutes, 35 seconds.

Taking the gold in the event was Vivian Kong of Hong Kong with a victory over France’s Auriane Mallo, who defeated Muhari in the semifinals. Muhari’s medal was the first for Hungary in these Olympics, and it came in what has historically has been the country’s best Olympic sport by far.

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Notre Dame men’s athletics win third Capital One Cup

Congrats, Notre Dame!

The Capital One Cup demonstrates greatness of a university’s athletic department. Each year, it is given out on both the men’s and women’s side. Notre Dame has captured the men’s award for the second time in three years and third time overall. Former lacrosse player [autotag]Pat Kavanaugh[/autotag] was on hand at this year’s ESPYS to acknowledge the victory:

At 103 points, Notre Dame finished well ahead of second-place Michigan (90 points) in the men’s standings. The national-championship lacrosse team got the most points with 60. The soccer team, the College Cup runner-up, earned 30 points, and the fencing team, another national-championship runner-up, got six points. Rounding out the scoring was the swimming and diving team, which earned a single point for playing 10th at the national meet.

This should serve as a reminder that although football is Notre Dame’s biggest sport by far, the university strives for athletic success across the board. Congratulations to the programs that made this honor possible.

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