By: Waylon Galvez
Filipino fencers are getting a rare opportunity as Lee Kiefer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and widely regarded as the GOAT in women’s foil, leads a training camp today at the Fencing Hall of the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.
More than 60 Filipino fencers have signed up for the one-day camp with Kiefer and her husband, Gerek Mainhardt, himself an Olympian and member of the USA Fencing Team.
“It’s a big boost to the sport here in our country to have the reigning, defending three-time Olympic gold medalist. This is also something that will surely inspire our young fencers hoping to follow the footsteps of Lee Kiefer,” said national team head coach Amat Canlas Jr.
“We’re grateful that Lee Kiefer and Gerek Mainhardt are here. If you’re a young fencer, this experience is like meeting the ‘Michael Jordan’ of women’s foil because Lee Kiefer is definitely the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time).”
Kiefer, a member of the USA Fencing Team, is Filipino-American.
Her mother, Teresa Oropila, hails from Tagum City, Davao del Norte, while her father, Steve, is a former captain of the Duke University fencing team.
Currently the world’s No. 1 foil fencer in the women’s division, Kiefer captured her first Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, defeating Russia’s Inna Deriglazova to become the first American to achieve the feat. She successfully defended her title at the 2024 Paris Games, winning gold against compatriot Lauren Scruggs.
The 31-year-old capped her Paris campaign with a third Olympic gold, anchoring the USA women’s foil team to victory over host Italy in the team foil finals.
Beyond the Olympics, Kiefer has also collected three World Championship gold medals — winning the individual title in 2018 in China, and both the individual and team titles earlier this year in Georgia. She boasts six World Grand Prix championships and five World Cup titles.
As a standout at Notre Dame, Kiefer won the NCAA individual gold four times, from 2013 to 2016, and again in 2017.
The one-day training camp, organized by the Philippine Fencing Association in partnership with Canlas Fencing, is expected to attract more than 60 participants.
Members of the national team preparing for this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand will also assist Kiefer and Mainhardt during the camp.
A separate “Meet and Greet” with Kiefer and Mainhardt is scheduled for Friday, August 29, at the Hexagon Lounge, Level 4 of RCBC Plaza in Makati City.
