Nick Itkin becomes first Jewish fencer to win medal in Paris, taking bronze for US

Trophy marks his second medal at consecutive Olympics, and the third in the sport for the US team in Paris

By jacob gurvis 30 July 2024, 9:48 am

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United States' Nick Itkin celebrates after winning the men's individual Foil bronze final match against Japan's Kazuki Iimura during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (Andrew Medichini/AP)

JTA — Fencer Nick Itkin has medaled in his second straight Olympics, winning a bronze on Monday.

Itkin, 24, a Los Angeles native and the No. 2-ranked men’s foil fencer in the world, won bronze in the individual men’s foil competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeating Japan’s Kazuki Iimura 15-12.

Itkin’s win is the US team’s third foil medal so far in Paris, following Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs’ respective gold and silver medals in the women’s foil event.

Itkin won a bronze medal in the team foil competition at the Tokyo Olympics, but placed twelfth in the individual contest in those games. He is also a two-time NCAA champion. Last year he became the first American man, and third US fencer overall, to win individual medals at back-to-back world championships after winning a silver medal at the 2023 World Fencing Championships.

Itkin is one of six fencers out of 20 on the US team in Paris who are Jewish or come from Jewish families. They have not performed as well so far.

Fellow US fencers Eli Dershwitz, Jackie Dubrovich and Mitchell Saron all lost early matches this weekend, knocking them out of individual competition. Yuval Freilich, the first Israeli man to become a European fencing champion, also lost in a surprise upset in his first match.

Bronze medallist US’ Nick Itkin celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men’s foil individual competition during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 29, 2024. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Itkin’s father Misha is a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine who opened a fencing club in LA, where he coached his son. The pair traveled to Israel together in 2022.

“I can’t say that I’m very much involved in the Jewish religion, but my father, it’s a huge part of his identity so obviously I grew up experiencing the culture and the religion,” Itkin told the Sporting Tribune in May. “When we visited Israel, it was one of his goals, to bring his family there. It meant a lot to him.”

Itkin will compete in the team foil competition on Sunday when the US team takes on Egypt in the first round.