Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 7, 2024 7 UNDER THE DOME Lee Kiefer (2013-17), Fencing: The most decorated women's foil fencer in U.S. history, Kiefer won two gold medals — one individual and one with the foil team — marking her second and third gold medals in two Olympic appear- ances. Kiefer joined former Irish soccer great Shannon Boxx (1995-98) as the only Irish alumni to win three Olympic gold medals. Jewell Loyd (2012-15), Basketball: The six-time WNBA All-Star claimed her second gold medal in as many Olympic appearances. Loyd struck gold in Paris with the U.S. Women's Basket- ball Team after winning gold with at the Tokyo Games. Eszter Muhari (2022-present), Fencing: Competing for her native Hungary, the rising Irish junior claimed a bronze medal in epee, winning a thrill- ing third-place bout that included nine ties and needed overtime to finish by a score of 15-14. Yared Nuguse (2017-22), Track: Competing in his first Olympics, the former Irish distance ace used a late kick in the 1,500-meter race to post a personal-best time of 3:27.80 to claim the bronze medal, narrowly missing a silver. "The Goose" qualified for the To- kyo Games but was unable to compete because of a quad injury. Jackie Young (2016-19), Basket- ball: The first overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Young claimed her sec- ond gold medal as a member of the U.S. Women's Basketball Team after striking gold in three-on-three basketball at the Tokyo Games. The above eight Notre Dame medal- ists were joined in Paris by (in alpha- betical order): Natalie Achonwa (2010-14), Bas- ketball, Canada Amita Berthier (2018-23), Fencing (foil), Singapore Molly Bruggeman (2010-14), Row- ing (W8+), United States Tyler Christianson (2020-24), Swimming (200 breaststroke), Panama Lauren Ebo (2022-23), Basketball, Nigeria Gerek Meinhardt* (2009-14), Fenc- ing (foil), United States Cassandre Prosper (2022-present), Basketball, Canada Magda Skarbonkiewicz (rising freshman), Fencing (Sabre), United States Notre Dame is expected to add more hardware to its Paris count when alum- nus Sam Grewe (2017-21) competes in the high jump at the 2024 Summer Para- lympic Games that began in late August. Grewe, the defending gold medalist from the Tokyo Games and a silver medal- ist at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, is among the favorites to strike gold again. * With his appearance in Paris, Mein- hardt, 34, joined former star Irish sabre fencer Mariel Zagunis — a two-time Olympic gold medal winner — as the only Notre Dame athletes to compete in five Olympic Games. ✦ UNDER THE DOME Jackie Young helped the United States win its eighth straight goal medal in women's basketball. PHOTO COURTESY USA BASKETBALL Yared Nuguse used a late kick in the 1,500- meter race to post a personal-best time of 3:27.80 and claim the bronze medal, narrowly missing a silver. PHOTO COURTESY TEAM USA Lee Kiefer became the most decorated women's foil fencer in U.S. history after winning a pair of gold medals in Paris. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Korbin Albert helped Team USA capture the gold medal in women's soccer, assisting on the game- winning goal in the gold medal match versus Brazil. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS