The Olympic fencing competitions continue on Sunday, July 28 with the women’s individual foil and men’s individual epee events.
American Lee Kiefer, the defending gold medalist from Tokyo, is the favorite to win the women’s foil event. France's Romain Cannone, the defending Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo can become the first man to successfully defend his gold in this event since 1904. Here’s what to watch.
SEE MORE: How to watch fencing at the Paris Olympics: TV and stream schedule
Women’s individual foil: Kiefer favorite for gold
Kiefer has been on a leave of absence from medical school since she started preparing for the Tokyo Games.
“There are just no hours in the day for a normal student, let alone a student athlete,” Kiefer said.
Her sacrifice may pay off once more. Kiefer can become the first American woman to win two Olympic gold medals in fencing if she wins Sunday’s event. She’s been on a roll since winning in Tokyo. Kiefer won the 2023 Grand Prix in Washington D.C. in March and placed third at the 2023 World Fencing Championships for a second consecutive year.
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Americans Jacqueline Dubrovich and Lauren Scruggs will also be competing.
Canadian Jessica Guo is returning to the Games with two World Cup medals and an NCAA title after beating Scruggs in the final 2024 NCAA Championships match. Guo could win Canada’s first Olympic fencing medal.
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Italians Alice Volpi, Arianna Errigo, and Martina Favaretto are also strong medal contenders. They swept the podium at the 2023 World Fencing Championships, with Favaretto sharing third with Kiefer.
Anne Sauer of Germany is an outside podium contender. The 33-year-old is making her Olympic debut after winning three Grand Prix medals over the past year.
SEE MORE: USA's Lee Kiefer wins gold in women's foil
Men’s individual epee: France aiming to win at home
France has a deep roster of talent in this event, including Cannone, who went from replacement athlete to Olympic gold medalist at the Tokyo Games. He’s the 2022 world champion and placed third at the 2023 World Fencing Championships. His teammates, Luidgi Midelton and Yannick Borel, could also be podium contenders.
Hungary has an equal shot at winning gold. World No. 2 Mate Koch will be making his Olympic debut as the reigning world champion. His teammate, Gergely Siklosi is ranked No. 1 and the defending Olympic silver medalist. Koch and Siklosi have the opportunity to win Hungary’s first gold medal in this event since 1972.
Davide Di Veroli of Italy is another podium threat. He placed second at the 2023 World Fencing Championships and is the world No. 6.
Koki Kano may be Japan’s best shot at winning the country’s first Olympic medal in this event. Kano was part of the team that won a surprise Olympic gold medal in the men’s team epee event in Tokyo.
No Americans will be competing.
