PARIS, France — A fencer from Queens, New York, is going down in history following her performance in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Lauren Scruggs is the first Black American woman to win an individual fencing medal, according to Team USA.
The 21-year-old Harvard student made the history books on Sunday when she took silver in an individual women's event. NBC News also reported that she is the first Black out lesbian to win an individual fencing medal as well.
But Scruggs continued to make memorable performances on Thursday when she helped USA get its first-ever team fencing gold in women's foil.
Scruggs faced a late rally from Italy's Arianna Errigo, who cut an eight-point U.S. lead to three, but the 21-year-old took the next three points to close out the win and celebrated with a shout of delight.
“I just didn’t want to be that person who loses after a big lead,” Scruggs told the AP. “I was like, ‘Oh, man, I can’t lose for my own pride.’ It’s kind of what pushed me forward and made me snap out of it.”
She first got into fencing because of her brother, and this is her first time at the Olympics, according to Team USA's profile on her. However, she has had multiple career highlights already. Harvard's roster said that before the university, she was the youngest U.S. foil fencer to win the Junior World Championship. During her first year at Harvard, she was the NCAA Northeast Regional Women's Foil Champion as well as the Crimson's Female Rookie of the Year. And in the 2022-23 season, she was the NCAA Women's Foil Champion.
This momentous achievement continues her rapid rise to the top of world fencing.
“Maybe two years ago, I really thought I could make the team, until last year, I made my first senior team,” she told the AP. “So to come out here and medal is just insane.”
But at the end of the day, Scruggs said she hopes her experiences help inspire other young Black fencers and show "that they have a place in the sport."
