Exclusive: Fencing veteran Gerek Meinhardt declares golden goal for Paris 2024 after taking silver at Shanghai Grand Prix

At the helm of Team USA’s most experienced fencing team bound for Paris 2024 is four-time Olympian and two-time medallist Gerek Meinhardt, who has his eyes on turning his two bronze medals into an Olympic gold later this year.

USA teammates Miles Chamley-Watson, Nick Itkin and Alexander Massialas will step up to the strip alongside the foil veteran to boast a combined 10 years of Olympic experience and seven medals between the four of them.

After taking the individual silver at the Shanghai Grand Prix in May, Meinhardt sat down with Olympics.com in New York and talked about his target in Paris: “as a team, we are set on going after that gold medal that's eluded us the past few Games".

“We're really excited," he said. "We're going in hungry, and we're going to do everything we can to prepare as a team and then put it all out there.”

Approaching his fifth games aged 33, the California native hinted at the fact that there might be an extra layer of motivation going into Paris, as they might just be his last.

“I'm definitely going in extremely excited and and if anything more motivated than I have been at my past games, because I do know I'm towards the end of my career and the opportunities are getting, you know, fewer and fewer.

“So I'm really excited to just put all the work in and go out there and compete with my team,” he added.

Men’s foil kicks off three days after the Opening Ceremony on 29 July, and on 4 August the world will bear witness to the fate of Meinhardt and the rest of the United States’ men’s foil fencing team.

*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024

Experience: An advantage or a setback?

The United States’ men’s foil fencers got off to a phenomenal start as competition in the Olympic year kicked off in January, with their first place finish in Paris at the Mazars Challenge International.

Since landing on top of that podium five months ago, the athletes have been competing across the globe and fighting for their spots in Paris on the U.S. Olympic Team.

At the start of the month, U.S. Fencing officially named their team and the four men, who each bear an Olympic bronze, are building up to attempt to avenge the third place finishes they took at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

“I think after winning bronze at the last two Games, we actually went into those a pretty strong favorite. This time around, we aren’t number one in the world, but we feel like our chances are just as high as at the last two, and if not even more so because we are more experienced and we have had those setbacks in the past,” he said.

The U.S. foil men's team currently sit in third place on the FIE World Rankings, behind Japan and Italy.

But, just because they’re not sitting in that top spot now, doesn’t mean we won’t see them there later this year in the French capital, where they took that win early this year.

“Fencing is a very unique sport because you can be ranked number one in the world, and in most cases that doesn't mean you're winning every tournament, so you get constant reminders of weaknesses that you have and things that you need to work on,” he said.

And one of those weaknesses, Meinhardt explained, goes hand in hand with one of their greatest strengths.

“One factor that we definitely need to consider and make sure that we address is the fact that we are so experienced and our competitors have seen us at competitions.

“They know some of our preferences and our styles, so that's something that we need to constantly be thinking about. And knowing that they’re getting video and analysis on us.”

That fact is far from lost on the U.S. men and the team will continue to train and analyze film themselves, as they prepare to walk into Paris having more Olympic experience than they have ever had before.

Meinhardt’s pre-Paris triumphs

Just over two months ahead of the kick-off of Paris 2024, the United States’ foil fencers put their skills on display for the final time before the Games at the Foil Fencing Grand Prix in Shanghai.

Meinhardt, once again, proved his dominance by landing on the podium and taking the silver medal.

“It was a great tournament for me and things felt really, really solid,” he explained.

“It was important for me because I hadn't medaled in over a year. It was just a reminder that the work I'm putting in is paying dividends, and I can go into Paris knowing that I have the potential to be on the podium and accomplish that goal that I have.”

And to make it all the more sweet, his wife - reigning Olympic champion Lee Kiefer - secured herself a podium finish as well.

“We got to enjoy the success together, which really doesn't happen that often, to be honest, despite us having been successful for so long.”

Combined, the two have three Olympic medals, two world titles, 12 Pan Am Games golds and 14 podium finishes at the World Championships.

“We had this reminder of our potential. And the fact that the work we see each other doing day in and day out, which doesn't always show on the strip or in results, did this time.”

The work isn’t done yet, as Meinhardt eyes the gold while Keifer works to defend her title.

The two have just a matter of weeks to fine tune their craft and step up to the Olympic stage in what they hope to be their best moment yet.