Photo by Dylan Goodman

Campus & Community

Scruggs describes ‘super surreal moment’ when she made Olympics history

Nick Economides

Harvard Correspondent

September 25, 2024

3 min read

Harvard fencer reflects on path to silver and gold — including facing a childhood idol — and what keeps her balanced, focused

Lauren Scruggs returned to campus for her senior year after carving her name in the history books this summer at the Paris Olympics.

The foilist not only won gold with Team USA in the women’s team event but became the first American Black woman to score a fencing medal when she captured silver in the individual event.

“It was a super surreal moment, I couldn’t believe it was happening to me,” Scruggs said about winning the silver. “It was far beyond what I expected to happen to me that day.”

Scruggs’ victories helped fuel the most successful Games in Harvard’s history. Crimson student-athletes from the U.S., Great Britain, and Germany combined to win 13 medals, the most since the modern Olympics began in 1896. Harvard’s 13 medals led all Ivy League schools, and the Crimson also led the Ivies in gold medals with eight.

In the lead-up to the Summer Games, Scruggs balanced an internship with Bank of America with a rigorous training regimen. She said the office work allowed her to stay grounded.

“It gave me something to keep my mind away from fencing for a little bit,” Scruggs said. “If you’re solely focused on the sport, the lows hit harder. It helped me stay focused and have a distraction. I thrive when I have a healthy balance between fencing and my regular life.”

After winning two early rounds, Scruggs faced three-time world champion Arianna Errigo of Italy. The bout was a turning point for Scruggs, who pulled off a thrilling upset to advance to the semifinals.

“I knew it was going to be a challenging bout. My main goal was to leave it all out there.”

“I knew it was going to be a challenging bout. My main goal was to leave it all out there,” Scruggs said. “I looked up to her to help me develop my fencing style when I was growing up. It was a full-circle moment.”

Moving to the semi-finals, Scruggs defeated Canada’s Eleanor Harvey, securing a historic silver medal. The achievement in Paris was a landmark moment for USA Fencing, as she became the first Black female American fencer to win an individual medal at the Olympic games.

After a day of photo shoots and interviews with national and international media outlets, Scruggs turned her attention to the team competition. Scruggs, along with teammates Lee Kiefer, Jacqueline Dubrovich, and Maia Mei Weintraub, prevailed, bringing the U.S. its first-ever gold medal in a team fencing event.

“It was a culmination of the past four years and all the hard work we put in,” Scruggs said. “We were ready, we all felt good that day. I was shocked that I was able to get that last touch for the gold medal.”

Scruggs said the success marked an outstanding moment for fencing in America that she hopes will spread more awareness of the sport.

“I hope the accomplishments make more people take notice of the sport,” she said. “It’s cool that I was able to do all that just being myself.”