Eleanor Harvey, a former Buckeye now representing the Canadian national team in fencing, made history on Sunday at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning the first individual Olympic medal in Canadian and Buckeye fencing history. Harvey won the individual national championship in 2016 for the Buckeyes and followed that accomplishment with a seventh-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also helped Canada to a fifth-place finish in the team event in the 2020 Games.
Harvey’s bronze medal win was marked by an improbable comeback from down 10-4 in the quarterfinals to Italy’s Martina Favaretto. Harvey completed the comeback to win 15-14.
Harvey’s quest for the individual gold medal was denied by the United States’ Lauren Scruggs but her chance to stand on the podium didn’t end in the semifinals. Instead, the former Buckeye blazed in front of Alice Volpi 9-4. Harvey kept her composure when Volpi was able to tie the bout at 10 and Harvey won the bronze medal scoring five of the last seven points of the bout.
Harvey was joined by fellow Buckeye and Canadian Fares Arfa in the Olympics. Arfa faced a difficult path to winning a medal at the Olympics going against the 2012, 2016 and 2020 gold medalist, Aron Szilagi of Hungary in the first round. Arfa, like Harvey, was a member of the Buckeyes from 2014-17. He had a fifth-place finish and third place finish in his junior year and senior year, respectively, in the NCAA championships.
Arfa made his Olympic debut in 2024 and made as big of a splash as anyone can make in his first bout, pulling off a stunning upset of three-time Olympic champion Szilagi.
Arfa ended Szilagi’s unbeaten Olympic record, that dated back to 2012, by a score of 15-8. Arfa advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Bolade Apithy of France in the next round by the same score. Arfa’s Olympic run would come up one victory short of the medal round as he lost a tightly-contested bout to eventual champion, Oh Sang-Uk of South Korea, 15-13.
Arfa and Harvey will both be back in action for Canada in their respective team events. Arfa in the men’s sabre team competition will compete again on Wednesday, while Harvey will compete in the foil competition for Canada on Thursday.
