Team USA Takes Home Gold and Silver in Women’s Foil During 2024 Paris Olympics

Two members of the USA women’s foil team, led by Eagles staffer Ralf Bissdorf, won gold and silver in the individual event on Sunday.

FIE Fencing via X

Team USA took home two medals on Sunday afternoon in the women’s individual foil event.

Lee Kiefer took home the gold medal after defeating Lauren Scruggs 15-6. The victory marked Kiefer’s second consecutive gold medal in the event. Scruggs takes the the silver, her first Olympic medal in her career. 

The duo are a part of the USA’s women’s foil team which is led by Boston College assistant fencing coach Ralf Bissdorf.

Bissdorf is a veteran coach in fencing and has worked with fencers in Singapore and the United States. During his own career, Bissdorf has won multiple championship in team and individual, was No. 1 in the World Rank, and won a silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the individual foil event. He has served as an assistant coach at The Heights since 2019. 

The Germany native has been Team USA’s women’s foil national coach since 2022.

Sunday’s event also made history. Eleanor Harvey from Team Canada won the bronze medal after defeating Team Italy’s Alice Volpi 15-12. The win made Harvey the first Olympian from Team Canada to win a medal in fencing.

The foil team will compete in the table of 8 on Thursday at 5:50 a.m. ET alongside Poland, Japan, Canada, France, China, Egypt, and Italy. The USA will take on China first. The event will air on NBC and stream on Peacock.

Bissdorf is one of three Boston College representations in this year’s Olympics. Eagles alumnae Erika Reineke (‘17) will compete for Team USA in the women’s dinghy event (sailing) and Laura Hottenrott (‘16) will compete for Team Germany in the women’s marathon.