Japan's fencers Kyosuke Matsuyama, Kazuki Iimura, Takahiro Shikine and udai Nagano celebrate after winning the men's team foil final match against Italy during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Japan won its second fencing gold medal of the Paris Olympics by beating Italy 45-36 in the last bout of the Games in the men’s team foil final on Sunday. Japan’s alternate, Yudai Nagano, came in for the eighth leg and gave Japan a commanding lead with a 5-0 matchup with Italy’s replacement fencer, Alessio Foconi. That left teammate Kazuki Iimura a 40-32 advantage to close out the win on the last leg. It was Japan’s fifth fencing medal of the Paris Games and second gold. The U.S. won four fencing medals in Paris, compared to two in Tokyo in 2021. The Paris haul included a first-ever team gold, while Lee Kiefer also won the individual women’s foil in an all-U.S. final and became the first American fencer to win three career gold medals.
Japan's fencers Kyosuke Matsuyama, Kazuki Iimura, Takahiro Shikine and udai Nagano celebrate after winning the men's team foil final match against Italy during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Japan's fencers Kyosuke Matsuyama, Kazuki Iimura, Takahiro Shikine and udai Nagano celebrate after winning the gold medal in the men's team foil competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Japan's fencers Kyosuke Matsuyama, Kazuki Iimura, Takahiro Shikine and udai Nagano, centre, winners of the gold medal in the men's team foil competition, celebrate on the podium with silver medal winners Italy's fencers Guillaume Bianchi, Filippo Macchi, Tommaso Marini and Alessio Foconi, left, and bronze medal winners France's fencers Enzo Lefort, Maxime Pauty, Julien Mertine and Maximilien Chastanet, during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Italy's fencers Guillaume Bianchi, Filippo Macchi, Tommaso Marini and Alessio Foconi celebrate on the podium after winning the silver medal in the men's team foil competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
France's fencers Enzo Lefort, Maxime Pauty, Julien Mertine and Maximilien Chastanet celebrate on the podium after winning the bronze medal in the men's team foil competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Italy's Guillaume Bianchi competes with Japan's Kazuki Iimura in the men's team foil final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Italy's Guillaume Bianchi competes with Japan's Kyosuke Matsuyama in the men's team foil final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Italy's Tommaso Marini competes with Japan's Kyosuke Matsuyama in the men's team foil final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Japan's Kazuki Iimura, top, and Italy's Guillaume Bianchi compete in the men's team foil final match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
United State's Nick Itkin competes with France's Enzo Lefort in the men's team foil bronze final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.