On Sunday, many were locked in as Team USA fell to France in men’s basketball and Katie Ledecky was just shy of winning a gold medal in the women’s 400-meter freestyle. However, there were a few bright spots in the midst of all that went down in Tokyo, Japan. Most notably, Lee Kiefer became the first woman to win gold in individual foil. She took down reigning Olympic gold medalist Inna Deriglazova 15-13 to capture her first career Olympic medal after finishing fifth at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
“What just happened?’’ she asked in disbelief immediately after the match.
It was a joyous moment for all those involved. Her coach and her husband were both there to celebrate with her.
“I was so confused,’’ she said as she reflected on the moment that she knew that she had won.
“My coach was like sobbing in my arms. I was soaking it in but very much confused.’’
Kiefer has set the bar high for her husband, Gerek Meinhardt. Meinhardt earned a bronze medal in fencing at the Summer Olympic Games five years ago. Entering Tokyo as the second-ranked competitor in the world, he hopes to duplicate his wife’s success later this week.
.@leetothekiefer becomes the first American to win individual foil GOLD ?? ?@usafencing x @teamusa x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/wYUuNOU33m
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021
