Princeton University Athletics
Maia Weintraub, second from left, with teammates, from left, Jackie Dubrovich, Lauren Scruggs, and Lee Kiefer.
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Weintraub Wins Olympic Women's Foil Gold, Fang Makes Games Debut
August 01, 2024 | Women's Fencing
Already a two-time All-American and an NCAA champion and only halfway through her Princeton career, Maia Weintraub can now add Olympic gold medalist to her growing list of accolades.
Weintraub, designated as the alternate for the U.S. women's foil team, stepped in during Thursday's gold-medal match at the Grand Palais in Paris and won both, helping Team USA to a 45-39 win over Italy to take gold.
Weintraub had not competed in the 45-37 quarterfinal win over China earlier Monday or the 45-31 semifinal win over Canada, in which fellow Princetonian Sabrina Fang, a rising sophomore, was her team's alternate. In the final, Weintraub stepped in for teammate Jackie Dubrovich, who came up just short at 7-5 in the third of the match's nine bouts, but left with the U.S. still leading 15-12 after Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs combined to build a 10-5 lead. Kiefer's second bout added a point to the U.S. lead, and then Weintraub added two more in her Olympic debut, putting the Americans up 25-19 with four bouts left.
Weintraub's second bout came just two spots later after Scruggs ceded one point, with Weintraub taking the strip with the U.S. ahead 30-25. The rising junior tacked on four points to the American lead, exiting with a 35-26 advantage with two bouts left. Kiefer ceded one point in the penultimate bout and Scruggs two in the finale, but the lead was more than enough to take gold.
Weintraub is the first Princetonian to win a fencing gold medal and the fifth to win a fencing medal overall, men or women. Susannah Scanlan '14 and Maya Lawrence '02 won team épée bronze in 2012 with Team USA, Tracy Jaeckel 1928 won team épée bronze in 1932, and Henry Breckenridge 1907 won team foil bronze with the Americans in 1920.
Fang, as the alternate, did not compete in the Canadians' three matches, a 38-36 quarterfinal win over France, the semifinal loss to the U.S., or the bronze-medal match against Japan as Canada came up just short, 33-32.
As many as three more Tigers are set to compete before fencing wraps up at the Games. Rising sophomore Tatiana Nazlymov and Maia Chamberlain '22, the team's alternate, make up half the U.S. women's saber team that will start their medal bid against South Korea on Saturday at 7 a.m. ET. On Sunday, Mohamed Hamza '23 and Egypt will take on Team USA to open the men's foil event at 5:50 a.m. ET.
Weintraub, designated as the alternate for the U.S. women's foil team, stepped in during Thursday's gold-medal match at the Grand Palais in Paris and won both, helping Team USA to a 45-39 win over Italy to take gold.
Weintraub had not competed in the 45-37 quarterfinal win over China earlier Monday or the 45-31 semifinal win over Canada, in which fellow Princetonian Sabrina Fang, a rising sophomore, was her team's alternate. In the final, Weintraub stepped in for teammate Jackie Dubrovich, who came up just short at 7-5 in the third of the match's nine bouts, but left with the U.S. still leading 15-12 after Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs combined to build a 10-5 lead. Kiefer's second bout added a point to the U.S. lead, and then Weintraub added two more in her Olympic debut, putting the Americans up 25-19 with four bouts left.
Weintraub's second bout came just two spots later after Scruggs ceded one point, with Weintraub taking the strip with the U.S. ahead 30-25. The rising junior tacked on four points to the American lead, exiting with a 35-26 advantage with two bouts left. Kiefer ceded one point in the penultimate bout and Scruggs two in the finale, but the lead was more than enough to take gold.
Weintraub is the first Princetonian to win a fencing gold medal and the fifth to win a fencing medal overall, men or women. Susannah Scanlan '14 and Maya Lawrence '02 won team épée bronze in 2012 with Team USA, Tracy Jaeckel 1928 won team épée bronze in 1932, and Henry Breckenridge 1907 won team foil bronze with the Americans in 1920.
Fang, as the alternate, did not compete in the Canadians' three matches, a 38-36 quarterfinal win over France, the semifinal loss to the U.S., or the bronze-medal match against Japan as Canada came up just short, 33-32.
As many as three more Tigers are set to compete before fencing wraps up at the Games. Rising sophomore Tatiana Nazlymov and Maia Chamberlain '22, the team's alternate, make up half the U.S. women's saber team that will start their medal bid against South Korea on Saturday at 7 a.m. ET. On Sunday, Mohamed Hamza '23 and Egypt will take on Team USA to open the men's foil event at 5:50 a.m. ET.
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