American Fencing Medalists Are Excited About the Sport’s Rise in Fame, According to Lee Kiefer
The fence is trendy right now.
Since July 26, when the Olympics began, there have been a lot more searches on Google for the sport, its rules, and how to watch it. The people at the Olympics in Paris’s Grand Palais have been so loud that they could have been mistaken for a soccer game.
American fencers are all for it.
A lot of people were excited to see Itkin because of the historic fights and wins that happened in the days before his event.
One of the most exciting moments was when Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs became the first Americans to win both gold medals in the women’s foil event.
Kiefer said it was “so cool” to play Scruggs in the all-American final. “It was certainly possible, but for it to happen, it’s sick.” It was crazy.
In her first Olympics, Scruggs won a silver medal in Paris. New generations of American fencers are making names for themselves as medal threats, and she is just one of them.
Itkin was ranked second in the world going into the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He had won bronze in the men’s team foil event at the Tokyo Games. Some of his young teammates, like Colin Heathcock, Mitchell Saron, Hadley Husisian, and Maia Weintraub, also came into the Olympics having won at least one big race in the past year.
“We have a lot of young, skilled fencers coming up.” The sport is getting bigger and bigger. “We’re just excited,” said Kiefer’s husband and five-time Olympian Gerek Meinhardt. There are two other guys on the U.S. men’s foil team, Alexander Massialas and Miles Chamley-Watson. They have been teaching Itkin since he joined the team five years ago as the youngest member.
“For real, we’re on a great path,” Itkin said. “Meinhardt, Massialas, Chamley-Watson, and Race Imboden, four older guys, set the bar for really high-level results, and I had to push myself so much more to make that team.”
Itkin says that the next group of talented fencers now knows how good they have to be to make Team USA because of the success of American fencers.
“Our junior team is very strong.” “Both in the junior division tournament and around the world, the junior team is winning medals,” Itkin said. “The long term looks very good.”
“They’re going to make plans to be here at the Olympics.” “Because they’re that good, they can be,” Kiefer said. “But I think it will be easier for them if we do it first.”
For now, the attention is on the team sports that are still to come in Paris. Kiefer and Scruggs will be in the women’s foil team event on Thursday, August 1. The men’s foil team event will happen on Sunday, August 4. Itkin and Meinhardt are on that team.
No one is more excited than the fencers to do their best.
Scruggs said she is excited for the women’s team foil event because she wants to bring the same energy she did in the solo event. “A lot of the match is just getting people excited.” It’s really important for the team game. “You have to bring the passion and energy.”
“This is one of the best times we’ve been ready,” Itkin said. “For the first time in the history of U.S. men’s fencing, I think this is a chance to do something really special.” Everything we’ve worked for would be worth it if we won.
More people are watching, more people are searching for information about fencing on Google, and American fencing has already won two things: more fans and the chance to inspire a new crop of fencers.
Itkin said, “That’s one of the bigger dreams come true.” “Just to see how much this sport has grown, and it’s still growing.”