Eleanor Harvey won bronze for Canada’s first Olympic fencing medal

PARIS — Canadian fencer Eleanor Harvey won Canada’s second medal of the Paris Olympics, capturing bronze in the women’s individual foil on Sunday.

The 29-year-old from Hamilton outlasted Italy’s Alice Volpi 15-12 for the win, marking Canada’s best-ever finish in an individual fencing event.

Harvey’s aggressive start paid off as the 12th-ranked Canadian scored the first three points of the match.

Italian serial no. 3 battled back and cut the deficit to 6-3 before Harvey responded with a flurry of strikes that gave him a 9-4 lead heading into the second round.

Volpi was fierce to start the middle frame, scoring six straight points to tie the score at 10-10.

Harvey continued to fight and when the referee confirmed that he had scored the decisive point, he fell to his knees.

Swimmer Summer McIntosh won Canada’s first medal of the Games – a silver – in the women’s 400m freestyle on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 28, 2024.

The Canadian Press