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SCREEN CAPTURE Filipino American Lee Kiefer, left, scores a point by striking behind her back |
To say US fencer Lee Keifer was exhuberant in winning a gold medal may be an understatement.
The Filipino American swordswoman successfully defended her gold medal for women's individual foil that she won in Tokyo in 2021.
“I really wanted to put on a good show because my family’s here and they wanted to be there in Tokyo,” she said in an interview on CNBC after her victory. “I just wanted to be able to fence pretty and the results came.”
What made this match different was standing in her way for a repeat in the event was another American, Lauren Scruggs. No matter who won, the Star Spangled Banner would be playing during the medal ceremony.
In the end, Kiefer came out on top beating her teammate 15-6.
FYI: Follow all the AANHPI athletes at the Paris Olympics.
Clearly, Kiefer used her nimble footwork and quickness to score point after point, while Scruggs was continually on the defense. Kiefer was particularly effective in close-in sparring.
In her win, Kiefer was the first American, and only the third woman, to win two gold medals in fencing. Assuredly, she's the only Asian American to accomplish that feat.
The raucous Paris crowd was in complete contrast o Kiefer's first gold medal in Tokyo, which was conducted under strict COVID restrictions. The 30-year old from Lexington, Kentrucky celebrated by first by screaming in victory and joyfully perouting with the American flag streaming behind her.
Asked about her future and if this might be her final Olympics, she deferred.
“I’m trying to think about Gerek’s event tomorrow and our team event and a men’s foil team event” Kiefer said. “That’s as far as we’re getting into the future for now.”
The Gerek she referred to is her husband, Gerek Meinhardt, a Taiwanese American who is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in men's foil and who will compete in two events in Paris.
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SCREEN CAPTURE After the match, Lee Kiefer realizes what her victory at the Paris Olympics means. |
The Asian American couple are medical students at the University of Kentucky who have taken leave from their studies to pursue their Olympic dreams.
Since enrolling at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine alongside her husband, the self-described “pretty shy, reserved person” has become an advocate of reproductive justice. Kiefer volunteers as a helpline volunteer with the Kentucky Health Justice Network, a nonprofit that provides funding and education for Kentuckians seeking abortion care.
Kiefer will return to compete her studies next year. But after Sunday’s masterclass, the prospect of defending her title on at the 2028 Los Angeles Games surely may be too tempting.
“No matter how much I tried to prepare, there’s still so much pressure I put on myself to just fence well and stay present,” a jubilant Kiefer said after her match. “Each day was a rollercoaster, but here we are at the top.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.
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