Lauren Scruggs Becomes 1st Black American Woman To Win Individual Medal in Fencing

Lauren Scruggs Becomes 1st Black American Woman To Win Individual Medal in Fencing

In a fencing championship that matched two American women to compete for the gold and silver medals, a woman became the first Black American woman to win an individual fencing medal.

According to NBC News, the championship fencing match pitted Americans Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs vying for the gold medal. Kiefer won the gold medal with a score of 15-6, leaving Scruggs to take home the silver medal, making history, even with the defeat that placed two Americans in the top spots in the fencing competition. Scruggs was also the second out LGBTQ athlete to receive a medal at the Paris Olympics.

“In certain communities, fencing is just not a sport you do,” Scruggs told the media outlet. “So I would say to those people, who are in those communities and who are interested in fencing: Do what you want to do … and follow your passion.”

She is hoping that her silver medal win can encourage more people of color to participate in the sport. She stated she hoped “more people who look like me feel as though they have a place in the sport.”

Team USA announced that it was the first time in U.S. fencing history that both competitors from Team USA advanced to the gold medal match. The last time Team USA women accomplished that feat was in 2008 at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 where the two finalists competed in the discipline of sabre. All three medal winners hailed from Team USA.

Both Scruggs and Kiefer went undefeated throughout the tournament.

Scruggs was also competing in her first Olympics while this was Keifer’s second gold medal in individual foil. She won previously three years ago in Tokyo when she set a record by winning the first Olympic individual foil gold in American history.

Both women will be back on August 1 when Team USA competes in the women’s foil team event.

Lauren Scruggs Becomes 1st Black American Woman To Win Individual Medal in Fencing

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