Lauren Scruggs, 21, made Olympic history individually when she became the first black athlete to medal for the United States in an individual fencing event.
She then helped the U.S. women’s fencing team capture a gold medal, marking the first time an American team — men or women — has done so in the sport, with a 45-39 win over Italy.
Scruggs’ gold with Team USA made her the first gold medalist in Harvard fencing program history.
“I just brought the heat and you know, that’s what happened,” said Scruggs during an interview after the match
The 21-year-old is a rising senior at Harvard University, and her success is the talk of the campus.
“I could be walking on campus and I can see an Olympic medalist,” said Harvard student Yvette Easton. “I think that’s so incredibly unique.”
“Our locker room is right next to the fencing locker room, which is amazing because we see them practice, and they’re just incredible athletes,” said another student, Teia Piette. “It’s cool to see them go so far.”
Scruggs is one of 26 athletes with ties to Harvard participating in this year’s Olympics.
“Fencing has largely, historically been a non-Black sport,” Scruggs said. “So I hope to inspire young Black girls to get into fencing and to think that they can have a place in the sport. I just hope that more people who look like me, little girls like me, feel they have a place in the sport.”
Scruggs’ journey to this historic achievement began at the age of 7, inspired by her brother Nolen’s love for “Star Wars” and their mother’s encouragement to stick with fencing after she had paid for the equipment. Her commitment to the sport grew as she excelled. She won the 2019 and 2022 Junior World Fencing Championships in foil and the 2023 NCAA title.
In Paris, Scruggs said she leaned into her college fencing experience to etch her name into fencing history.
“Just the intensity … NCAA fencing requires a lot of heart,” she said. “I was able to tap into some of that today.”