A Lexington native was welcomed home after winning two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, LEX18 reported this week.Â
Lee Kiefer, 30, became the first American fencer to win three Olympic gold medals as the U.S. got its first-ever team fencing gold in women's team foil at the Paris Olympics. The team of two-time individual gold medalist Kiefer, silver medalist Lauren Scruggs, Jacqueline Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub held on for a 45-39 win over Italy in the gold-medal bout.
Italy's Arianna Errigo, left, competes with United States' Lee Kiefer in the women's team foil final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Kiefer also won 15-6 in Sunday's final against Scruggs and celebrated by pirouetting down the piste in joy. Her gold medal is the fifth of all time in an individual event for a U.S. fencer. She follows Mariel Zagunis in 2004 and 2008 as the only American fencers to win gold in the same event twice.
Kiefer, a former University of Kentucky student athlete, took home the gold in Tokyo, as well.Â
On Monday, Kiefer was greeted by friends and family at Blue Grass Airport, LEX18 reported.Â
"I was a little surprised, because it's a fencing practice time right now, and our coach is a stickler," Kiefer said. "But sounds like practice was moved up, and everyone got to come greet me at the airport, and it was really special."
Kiefer has been fencing for 23 years. She graduated from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
To view Kiefer's athlete bio on Team USA's website, click here.Â
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The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. Â
