Lee Kiefer won the individual foil world title for the first time in her 12th try.
Lee Kiefer, the only U.S. fencer to win three Olympic gold medals, won her first individual World Championship in her 12th try.
Kiefer won the foil title in Tbilisi, Georgia, routing Frenchwoman Pauline Ranvier 15-4 in the final bout.
Kiefer, 31, previously won a team foil world title in 2018, plus individual bronze medals in 2011, 2022 and 2023. She won the last two individual Olympic foil titles, plus team foil gold in Paris.
At the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Kiefer can tie the fencing record by winning a third individual Olympic gold medal.
Fellow American foil fencer Lauren Scruggs, who took team gold and individual silver in Paris, lost in the round of 16 to Italian Anna Cristino.
Earlier at worlds, U.S. Olympic medalists were eliminated in the early rounds: Alexander Massialas (round of 16), Nick Itkin (round of 32) and Gerek Meinhardt (round of 64).
Worlds run through next Wednesday, with team finals starting Saturday.
Category: General Sports
