Lee Kiefer—now the first American fencer in history to own three Olympic gold medals and the first American woman to win two fencing golds at a single Games—cried on the top of the podium Thursday night at the Grand Palais, shedding more tears, and singing the national anthem louder, than any of her teammates.
Kiefer didn’t show such emotion on Sunday, when she won her second straight individual Olympic gold medal in foil fencing. Kiefer knew she still had to put in the work to her fellow Americans a gold medal too.
In an historic evening for American fencing, Team USA defeated Italy on 45-39 on Thursday, also giving the United States its first national team fencing gold medal in Olympic history (in 1904, Albertson Post of the United States won a team gold in foil on a mixed-nation squad, along with two Cuban fencers.)
The U.S. entered the final round with a 40-32 advantage—45 touches win the match—but Italy’s Arrianna Errigo went on a run against the U.S. team’s anchor fencer, Lauren Scruggs, who lost to Kiefer in individual foil final on Sunday, to cut the lead to 42-39.
Kiefer outscored her opponents 14-13 during her three rounds, setting a tone by giving the U.S. an early 5-4 lead, which Scruggs then increased to 10-5 after the second. The U.S. was able to hold on this early cushion
Olympic fencer Gerek Meinhardt, met at Notre Dame and are both medical students, on leave while training for the Olympics, at the University of Kentucky. Being part of a fencing couple comes with perks.
After her historic second gold in Paris—and third Olympic title overall—Kiefer told TIME during a quiet moment in the Grand Palais that she’d continue to volunteer for the Kentucky Health Justice Network when she returned home.
Despite locking in on fencing for Paris, she’s attuned to the political events back home. She’ll support Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. “
Kiefer was non-committal, however, in confirming previously-announced plans that these Olympics, her fourth, will be her last, and that she’ll return to medical school in the summer of 2025.
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