The opportunity to compete in the Olympics with the world’s elite athletes is one of the highest honors any competitor can hope for. Lee Keifer isn’t just one of those competing in Paris but is now an Olympic Champion, winning the gold medal in women’s foil fencing. This isn’t the first time that she has won gold as she defended her title, and she has now won back-to-back gold medals. In the final match on Sunday against fellow Team USA member Lauren Scruggs, Kiefer won 15-6, also giving Scruggs silver. In winning silver, Lauren made history by being the first African American fencer to win an Olympic medal in an individual event for the USA.
Lee Keifer wins gold in fencing Paris Olympics
Lee has prior experience with her foil competing in the 2012 London Olympic Games as well as in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Tokyo. At this point, she’s an Olympic veteran, and it shows. She competed both in the single women’s event as well as the women’s team foil competitions.
That is a great deal to ask for from a young woman born in Cleveland, Ohio, who later grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. She has competition in her blood, as her father once captained the Duke University fencing team. Between being a medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, she has won almost every contest put in front of her all the way to her two gold medals.
Second place is better than no place
Coming in second place to her own teammate could leave Scruggs bitter, but Lauren said,
I’m definitely more happy than disappointed. I think that it was shocking for me to be here in the first place, so I don’t even think I’ve had time to process losing, if I’m being honest. Just shocking, and just super grateful. Maybe two years ago, I really thought I could make the team, until last year, I made my first senior team. So to come out here and medal is just insane.
As for Kiefer, she gave us a hint of her inspiration that brought her to Paris back in the Tokyo Olympics. She had dedicated her win there to Buckie Leach, who was her coach and had passed away 20 days after her winning. She stated, “He would be so happy for me. This one’s for him. I even have a picture of him on my wall in the village.”
Finding inspiration in another female athlete
That inspiration and great coaching have taken her far, as this is the fifth medal she has earned in individual events for U.S. fencing. Only one other amazing American woman has also won two back-to-back gold medals in her event, and that was Mariel Zagunis in 2004 and 2008.
Kiefer stated that:
Mariel, who did it before me, has been supporting me and being a really important person to keep me feeling important and seen and empowered these past years, so I really want to thank her for being that person.
These inspirational women have helped each other, and countless others endeavor to be the best in the world at their sport. Not only do both of these unbelievably talented women wish to do that, but so does Lauren Scruggs. She also stated that she wants to inspire other young girls of color to show that they have a place in the sport.
This is just the third day of the Paris Olympics, and the competition has been terrific as well as inspiring. For all potential athletes everywhere, there is more to come and stories to be had. This event allows us to watch and learn from the world’s best. Paris may be the last time we see Lee Kiefer in the Olympics. She has not ruled out that she may continue on, but she is now the most decorated female fencer in U.S. history.
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