Watch CBS News

Lee Kiefer wins third fencing gold medal in U.S. history by defeating defending champion

Olympics underway amid COVID-19 controversy
Tokyo Olympics underway amid COVID-19 controversy 02:26

Lee Kiefer won the third fencing gold in United States history by beating defending champion Inna Deriglazova of Russia 15-13 in the women's foil final. 

Mariel Zagunis is the only other U.S fencer to earn gold, winning the saber events at the 2004 and 2008 Games.

Kiefer ripped off her mask after the final point and shouted "Oh my God!" She placed fifth at the 2012 London Games and was 10th at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics Fencing
Lee Kiefer of the United States celebrates winning the women's individual Foil final competition against Inna Deriglazova of the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Chiba, Japan. Hassan Ammar / AP

A four-time NCAA champion at Notre Dame, Kiefer is now a medical student at the University of Kentucky. Her husband, Gerek Meinhardt, won bronze with the U.S. team in foil at the 2016 Olympics.

"It's such an incredible feeling that I share with my coach, I share with my husband, with my family, just everyone that's been a part of this," she said, her gold medal hanging from her neck. "I wish I could chop it up in little pieces and distributed it to everyone I love."

Tokyo Olympics Fencing
Gold medalist Lee Kiefer of the United States, holds her gold medal during the medal ceremony for the women's individual Foil final competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Chiba, Japan. Hassan Ammar / AP

Larisa Korobeynikova of Russia beat Alice Volpi of Italy 15-14 in the bronze match.

Romain Cannone won France's first gold medal of the Tokyo Games moments later, beating Gergely Siklosi of Hungary 15-10 in the men's epee final.

Cannone led 14-9 after two periods in the first-to-15 match and ended it quickly in the third. The 24-year-old Cannone was born in France but grew up in the United States and attended Sacred Heart University. He returned to France in 2016 to boost his chances of qualifying for the 2020 Olympics.

Igor Reizlin of Ukraine won the bronze with a 15-12 victory over Andrea Santarelli of Italy.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.