PARIS, France — Another night, another Notre Dame fencing medal at the Paris Olympics.
Second-seeded Nick Itkin, the son of Ukrainian immigrants, beat Japan’s Kazuki Iimura 15-12 for the bronze medal in foil Monday at the Grand Palais.
“It's a blur,” Itkin said. “It's so fast, but it's a moment of relief.”
This was his second Olympic medal after a team bronze at Tokyo in 2021. He was an NCAA champion for the Fighting Irish in 2018 and 2019 and helped them win the team championship in 2022.
He is only the United States’ fourth Olympic medalist in men’s foil in 120 years.
With another Notre Dame graduate, Lee Kiefer, and Lauren Scruggs winning gold and silver in foil Sunday, this is the first time U.S. men and women have ever earned individual medals at the same Olympics.
“This is the best venue I've ever competed in,” Itkin said. “So much history, and the French fans are real fans. “This is what the sport needs. So thank you so much to the French fans, because it's an honor to be able to compete in front of you.”
Itkin lost 15-11 in a semifinal against Italy’s Filippo Macchi.
In a quarterfinal, Itkin lost a 12-7 lead and was tied 14-14 by another Italian, Guillaume Bianchi. Itkin survived in sudden death, 15-14.
He tore off his mask, fell to his knees and shouted in exultation, then put his mask back on as judges reviewed the point. The two fencers were ready to face off again when a judge ended the match, prompting Itkin to reprise the celebration.
Earlier, five-time Olympian Gerek Meinhardt, another Notre Dame graduate, lost to Enzo Lefort of France 15-10 in the round of 16. Meinhardt is the husband of Kiefer.
At World Championships, Itkin won a silver in 2023 and bronze in 2022, becoming the first American man to win an individual world medal in consecutive years.
Itkin, 24, born in Los Angeles, would have been eligible to represent Ukraine in international sport because of his ancestry.
He learned fencing from his father, Misha, a coach who was a professional fencer in Ukraine and co-founded the Los Angeles International Fencing Center. His mother, Tatyana, and grandmother were Ukrainian gymnasts.
Contact WTHR correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.