Lauren Scruggs (fencer)

Last updated
Lauren Scruggs
Personal information
Born (2003-01-27) January 27, 2003 (age 21)
Queens, New York, U.S.
Education Harvard University
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportFencing
University teamHarvard
Medal record
Women's foil
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 Paris Individual
Junior World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Dubai Individual
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 Toruń Individual
Pan American Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Lima Individual

Lauren Scruggs (born January 27, 2003) is an American foil fencer who earned a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, making her the first black American woman to win any individual fencing medal. Scruggs competes for the Harvard Crimson team in collegiate fencing, she has also won an NCAA championship and is one of two Black fencers from the United States to have won an individual world championship. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Scruggs grew up in Queens , New York. [2] She was inspired to start fencing as a 6-year-old, after her older brother joined a fencing club in Brooklyn. [3] [4] She attended Packer Collegiate Institute, graduating in 2021. [5] Her older brother Nolen fenced at Columbia University. [6]

She is a student at Harvard University and is majoring in philosophy. [7] [8]

Career

Scruggs is a two-time champion in the Junior World Fencing Championships, winning individual gold medals in 2019 and 2022 as well as other individual and team awards in 2018 and 2021. [9] In 2023, she earned an individual gold medal at the NCAA Fencing Championships in Durham, North Carolina, and contributed to a fifth-place team finish for Harvard. [10] In June 2024, she took bronze at the Pan American Fencing Championships in Lima. [11]

2024 Summer Olympics

On March 17, 2024, Scruggs qualified for the Paris Games by earning bronze at the Absolute Fencing Gear FIE Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. She won the silver medal in the women's foil event, defeating Arianna Errigo and Eleanor Harvey before losing 15–6 in the final to fellow American Lee Kiefer. [12] [13] This made Scruggs the first black American woman to win any individual fencing medal. [14]

Personal life

Scruggs is openly lesbian and currently dating a Harvard classmate. [3] She is involved with the Peter Westbrook Foundation, which offers fencing lessons to children and teens who are members of underrepresented groups. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ Coronell Uribe, Raquel (2024-07-26). "Harvard's fencing program charging onto the Olympics scene with 8 athletes set to compete in Paris". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  2. ↑ "Lauren Scruggs". USA Fencing. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  3. 1 2 Zeigler, Cyd (2024-06-07). "Lauren Scruggs says her Olympics sport is like 'Princess Bride'". OutSports. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  4. ↑ Grove, Rashad (2024-07-26). "Diverse Voices in Fencing: Miles Chamley-Watson and Lauren Scruggs Discuss Their Olympic Journey". BET. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  5. ↑ "Lauren Scruggs". Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  6. ↑ "Lauren Scruggs - 2023-24 - Women's Fencing". Harvard University . Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  7. ↑ Forst, Katharine; Harris, Thomas (2024-03-20). "Harvard's Lauren Scruggs To Represent Team USA at 2024 Paris Olympics | Sports". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  8. ↑ Rose, Naeisha (2024-05-30). "From Ozone Park to the Paris Olympics". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  9. ↑ "Lauren Scruggs Crowned Junior World Champion for Second Time in Her Career". Harvard University. 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  10. ↑ Behrens, Caroline (2023-03-31). "Harvard's Jonas Hansen and Lauren Scruggs Take Home the Gold at Fencing NCAA Championships". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  11. 1 2 Aponte, Claudia Irizarry (2024-07-10). "En Garde: Two New York Olympic Fencers Are on The Path to Paris". THE CITY. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  12. ↑ Zeigler, Cyd (2024-07-28). "In first all-USA final, Lauren Scruggs wins improbable silver medal". OutSports. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  13. ↑ Wong, Samantha (2024-07-28). "Olympic fencing recap, July 28: Major upsets in women's foil, men's epee early rounds". NBC Olympics. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  14. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/28/lee-kiefer-lauren-scruggs-fencing-paris-olympics/#:~:text=Fellow%20American%20Lee%20Kiefer%20won,the%20delight%20of%20her%20mentor.
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