Eleanor Harvey adjusting to ‘surreal feeling’ of being an Olympic medallist
Fencer Eleanor Harvey planned to keep her cool at Paris 2024. It’s paid off with Canada’s first ever Olympic medal in fencing.
Coming into these Games, Harvey’s seventh-place finish at Rio 2016 was Canada’s best-ever individual result in Olympic fencing. Now, with a bronze in the women’s individual foil, the 29-year-old from Hamilton, Ont. has set a new standard.
“I feel like I’m in a dream,” said Harvey, who entered these Games ranked 14th in the world. “I still can’t believe it.”
Eight years ago in Brazil, she exceeded expectations by upsetting the world’s top-ranked player. This year in Paris, she defeated higher-seeded opponents in the table of 16, quarterfinals and the bronze medal bout.
The difference-maker for Harvey, competing at the historic Grand Palais, may have been her ability to stay composed under pressure.
Keeping her cool
In the bronze-medal bout against Italy’s Alice Volpi, Harvey built up a 9-4 lead after the first period. The Italian surged to level the score at 10-10 in the second period, and appeared poised to take the lead.
But Harvey stuck with her counterattacking approach and won the next three points. She would go on to win 15-12.
“When I scored the last point I couldn’t believe it,” said Harvey. “It’s a very strange, surreal feeling.”
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Earlier on Day 2, Harvey found herself at 14-14 in the quarterfinals against another Italian, Martina Favaretto. The next point would determine the winner. Harvey slowed down and learned from what had happened earlier in the bout.
“I understood what was happening and I was able to keep a pretty level head, even at 14-14,” she said. “I have [panicked] before and I regret it every time. I wanted to go into this tournament, win or lose, and do my best to keep my composure. If I lose that way, I can live with that. If I lose and I feel like I beat myself, that haunts me.”
Family support
She won’t need to worry about any ghosts from these Games. Instead, she can celebrate in France with her mother, who wasn’t able to watch her compete at Tokyo 2020 due to pandemic restrictions.
“She’s made a lot of sacrifices for me,” said Harvey. “So it’s really, really cool that she was able to be here and watch me have the best fencing result of my life.”
Harvey, who began fencing at age 10, says her mother had to sell her house to afford sending her to tournaments. The pair moved in with Harvey’s grandmother.
“My grandma would sleep on a couch, so that I could have a bed,” said Harvey. “So it’s not just my mom.”
Indeed, Harvey now has a whole country supporting her, with all of the added pressure that entails. But if the Paris Games are any indication, she can handle it.
