On Thursday, the United States women’s foil team achieved a historic victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics by defeating the formidable Italian team to secure gold for the first time ever.
Italy had previously claimed four of the past six gold medals in this team event. However, when Lauren Scruggs from Queens clinched the final touch against Arianna Errigo, she was overwhelmed by the reality of making history alongside her teammates.
Emotions ran high as Scruggs, who earned a silver medal in the individual foil final, and teammates Lee Kiefer, who bested her for individual gold, along with Maia Weintraub and Jacqueline Dubrovich, celebrated their 45-39 victory with tears of joy.
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Lauren Scruggs of Team USA competes against Alice Volpi of Italy in the women’s team foil gold medal match during the Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Thursday. (Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports)
The closing leg between Scruggs and Errigo delivered an exhilarating finish to this remarkable gold-medal battle.
AMERICAN LEE KIEFER DEFEATS TEAMMATE LAUREN SCRUGGS FOR GOLD IN INDIVIDUAL FOIL
Weintraub’s successful run against Francesca Palumbo created a gap at 35-26, followed by Kiefer extending it to 40-32 against Alice Volpi. Scruggs now knew she needed five more touches to seal the gold.
However, Errigo proved to be a tough opponent. As Scruggs worked to maintain her lead, Errigo clawed back within three touches, prompting Scruggs to strategize on how to score against the Italian.
Maia Weintraub of Team USA, right, competes in the women’s team foil gold medal match during the Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Thursday. (Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports)
A decisive moment occurred when Scruggs charged Errigo with the score at 42-39, scoring the critical point to put the USA ahead.
While Errigo managed to touch Scruggs a few times, they were not successful, allowing the American to score the last four touches and secure the gold.
Team USA’s Maia Weintraub, left, high-fives Lauren Scruggs in the women’s team foil gold medal match during the Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris on Thursday. (Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports)
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This triumph was a collective effort from the team in overcoming the challenge posed by the Italian squad, solidifying their place in the history books in Paris.
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