Paris 2024 Olympics – Fencing – Women’s Foil Individual Semifinals – Grand Palais, Paris, France – July 28, 2024. Lauren Scruggs of United States celebrates after winning her semifinal bout against Eleanor Harvey of Canada. REUTERS/Albert Gea
Queens’ own Lauren Scruggs earned the silver medal in an all-American foil fencing final during the 2024 Paris Olympics games on Sunday.
Scruggs lost to fellow American Lee Keifer 15-6 in the final match at the Grand Palais in Paris. It was Kiefer’s second-straight gold medal in the genre, having won previously at the Tokyo games in 2021.
Scruggs was part of the first all-American final in a fencing event in 16 years. It was the first Olympic medal for the 21-year-old Ozone Park resident and Harvard University student, who won an NCAA championship in fencing last year.
According to USA Today, the silver medal culminated a Cinderella run for Scruggs, who had not been expected to medal in foil fencing. However, she defeated four international competitors en route to the gold medal showdown with Keifer.
Locally, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards celebrated Scruggs’ achievement.
“Before Lauren Scruggs was an Olympic silver medalist or a Harvard sensation, she was a kid from Ozone Park with big dreams,” Richards posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Lauren, you made those dreams come true today. We can’t wait to honor you when you come home to Queens!”