SINGAPORE – At the Z Fencing academy in Toa Payoh on Friday, Olympic gold medallist Lee Kiefer holds court and the eyes of 38 aspiring fencers are fixed on her, enthralled by a woman who has reached the top of her sport. Silently, they dream of a day that they can follow in her footsteps.
The world No. 1, meanwhile, has her sights set on her own target of becoming just the third female foil fencer to retain the Olympic gold.
Italian fencer Valentina Vezzali won three straight gold medals from 2000 to 2008, while Ilona Elek from Hungary was victorious at the 1936 and 1948 editions.
“The goal is always to get more,” said the 29-year-old Kiefer, who is in town with husband and fellow American fencer and Olympic bronze medallist Gerek Meinhardt for Z Fencing’s four-day training camp for 167 young fencers aged six to 21.
“The dream would be for me and Gerek to bring home four Olympic medals into the house.”
In July 2021, Kiefer became the third American to win Olympic fencing gold after Albertson Van Zo Post (1904) and Mariel Zagunis (2004, 2008) by beating Inna Deriglazova of Russia 15-13 in the women’s foil final in Tokyo.
Then, Kiefer memorably ripped off her mask after the final point and shouted “Oh my god!”.
She is expecting the challenge at the 2024 Paris Olympics to be difficult as she goes from being the hunter to the hunted.
“I think it will be harder, it will be different,” she said.
“I expect an evolution mentally and physically this time.
“I think the whole skill level of fencing has risen in the past 10 years and it continues to get better each time.
“So honestly, I don’t underestimate anyone but right now some of the top consistent people are the Italians and the French.”
After completing what she hopes will be a successful Paris mission, Kiefer will head back to school at the University of Kentucky, where she was a medical student for two years before she put her studies on hold to focus on the sport.
Focus is also what helped her reach the top of the podium in Tokyo, where she beat Singapore fencer and first-time Olympian Amita Berthier 15-4 in a qualifying bout.
Berthier and Kiefer are both from the University of Notre Dame, where both were tutored by the same coach, Amgad Khazbak, and have thus plenty of time with each other in both training and competition. So Kiefer knows the potential of the Singaporean fencer who is seven years her junior.
Berthier, who has won three SEA Games golds and a team bronze at the 2018 Asian Games, is currently training full time ahead of the Paris Olympics in 2024.
When asked about Berthier’s chances of winning an Olympic medal for Singapore one day, Kiefer said: “I hope she does. I’ll be cheering for her.
“We fenced a ton together so we both know the day-to-day grind that it takes to be on the Olympic and international stage.
“Right now, we both want to qualify for the Olympics. I have so much love and respect just because I feel like we bond over this common goal and this common day-to-day mission.
“I’m not surprised by her progress because I think she has a lot of good skills.
“I think she’s had a lot of similar support system as I have had, having gone to Notre Dame and I think she just has to keep pushing herself and keep finding that inspiration to keep that fire under her.
“I don’t think there are limits to what she can achieve.”
