Lexington's own Lee Kiefer makes history with third Olympic gold medal

Lexington native Lee Kiefer has helped the United States make history in Paris, leading her home country to its first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil — her second gold of the 2024 Olympics and third overall, making her the most decorated U.S. female foil fencer in history.

The gold medal comes following a matchup against Italy in the finals, the U.S. coming out with a 45-39 win in a group comprised of Kiefer, Laureen Scruggs, Jackie Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub. They previously defeated Canada 45-31 to advance to the gold medal round.

The U.S. women’s foil fencing team becomes the first to win an Olympic gold medal — men or women — while Kiefer becomes the first U.S. woman to win two gold medals in fencing at a single Olympics and the first U.S. fencer to claim three golds in history.

Lexington native and UK Med student Lee Kiefer wins gold again! She and the US Women's Foil Team just defeated Italy in the finals. 🥇 #BBN

This is Kiefer's second gold in Paris. She won gold in Women's Individual Foil on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/WvvwSQYXTt

— KSR (@KSRonX) August 1, 2024

Kiefer previously won gold in the women’s individual foil on Sunday, defeating fellow American Lauren Scruggs 15-6.

Growing up in Lexington and attending Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, the Cleveland-born fencer attended and graduated from Notre Dame before making the move back home as a medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Starting her fencing career at the age of 5, Kiefer became the youngest member of the 2009 U.S. Senior World Foil Team and was the only athlete in the world to have earned individual podium finishes at the senior, junior and cadet world championships in 2011. She then became the first American woman to earn the No. 1 foil ranking in 2017. An Olympian in 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024, the homegrown fencing star has also racked up six Grand Prix gold medals, five World Cup gold medals and 12 gold medals at the Pan American Championship for individual women’s foil beyond her trio of Olympic gold medals.

She may have graduated from Notre Dame initially, but she claims Lexington as home and is currently a Wildcat at UK. And that Wildcat is the most dominant women’s fencer in the world.

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