A United States’ fencer’s gold medal win on Monday at the Paris Olympics reverberated hundred thousands miles away from Paris to Tagum City and Davao City.
This is nothing new.
Three years ago, the same athlete brought overwhelming joy to families in Davao when she won a gold medal in Tokyo, the first Olympiad after the pandemic.
That’s American fencing star Lee Kiefer. Born in Cleveland but with Filipino blood running down her veins.
At 30 years old, the daughter of a Filipina doctor from the Bacani brood of Tagum City bagged her second straight Olympic gold medal in the women’s individual foil on Monday in Paris when she denied US teammate Lauren Scruggs, 15-6, at the Grand Palais.
Kiefer rushed to her mother Teresa’s arms after clinching the Olympic gold. Her family in Davao erupted in cheers for the accomplishment of the US fencer whom they call their very own.
“She is Pinay at heart. She is one of us. She is proud of her roots,” said Dr. Janice Bacani Carandang who followed Lee’s journey from her first Olympiad in London in 2012 at the age of 18.
Kiefer wasn’t as fortunate in London, as she was stopped at her tracks by a six-foot one Ariana Errigo of Italy. She won a team silver in Brazil before becoming became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in individual foil in the sport of fencing in Tokyo.
It was also the same Errigo who stopped the Philippines’ Sam Catantan on Sunday.
