Queens native Lauren Scruggs captures historic Olympic fencing gold

It was a golden day for Queens native Lauren Scruggs.

The Olympic fencer 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.

The victory added to an already impressive Olympic run for the 21-year-old Harvard student, who made Olympic history individually when she became the first black athlete to medal for the United States in an individual fencing event after she took home silver in women’s foil fencing.

Scruggs’ gold with Team USA made her the first gold medalist in Harvard fencing program history.

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Thursday’s feat served as redemption for the Americans after losing to Italy at the Tokyo Olympics in the bronze medal match three years ago.

It was Scruggs and teammate Lee Kiefer, who beat the Queens native for the gold in the individual foil on Sunday , that put the United States ahead early, 10-5, against the talented Italian squad.

Scruggs later finished off Italy after they made a late push by getting the final three points to secure the gold medal victory for the Americans.

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“I just didn’t want to be that person who loses after a big lead,” Scruggs said, according to the Associated Press. “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.”

In a moment of triumph, Scruggs flipped off her mask and raised her arms in celebration. The Olympian later ran up to one of the cameras and chanted, “U-S-A, Let’s go!” A Team USA staffer then began handing out American flags to the athletes as they continued to celebrate.

The Summer Games this year in Paris were Scruggs’ first, but the 21-year-old already had an impressive collegiate résumé, including a First Team All-American selection her sophomore year and First Team All-Ivy League in her first season.

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Earlier in the week, Scruggs had credited growing up in the “cutthroat” New York environment for helping her to get where she is today.

“I’ve grown up in New York my whole life. It can be kind of rough sometimes,” Scruggs told Reuters. “You develop a hard shell, and in terms of how that translates to my fencing, I think it came out, that energy and that toughness.”

Scruggs had expressed hope that her success in this year’s Olympic games would help inspire others to take up the sport and expand the diversity of those who participate in it. Her silver earlier in the Olympics also made Scruggs the first black out lesbian to medal in a fencing event.

“You get more diverse people getting into fencing when they see people like them,” she told NBC News this week. “I hope to be an example of who can fence. Hopefully people like me who identify similar to me feel that this sport is the place for them.”

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