At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. fencing team is nearly one-third Jewish athletes. As we’ve already covered bronze medalist Nick Itkin, foil fencer Maia Weintraub and veteran sabre fencer Eli Dershwitz, let’s turn our attention to Jewish foil fencer Jackie Dubrovich.
Here are 18 things to know about her.
1. Jackie Dubrovich was born on July 18, 1994 in Paterson, New Jersey.
2. She’s a Cancer!
3. Just look at how adorable she was as a child.
4. Her parents emigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union.
“Without my parents’ bravery, tenacity and sacrifices, none of this would have been possible,” Jackie wrote on Instagram when she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. “My parents immigrated to this country from the Soviet Union for a better chance at life for their children, and I know to them, never in their wildest dreams could they imagine they would have their child represent the United States of America at the Olympic Games.”
5. She has a younger brother named Jason. He plays professional soccer with the Colorado Switchbacks in the USL Championship.
6. Jackie started fencing at the age of 8 at the suggestion of a cousin.
“I got involved in fencing because I was too lanky and uncoordinated for dance and gymnastics, both of which I started as my first sports at 6 years old,” she told USA Fencing. “At first, I was not immediately in love with it and viewed it more as an obligation because my parents kept pushing me to stick with a sport. As I got older, I became to appreciate fencing for what it is and have been doing it for over two decades.”
7. She graduated from Pompton Lakes High School in New Jersey. She then received a Bachelors of Arts in psychology, human rights and Russian literature and culture from Columbia University in 2016.
8. She is fluent in Russian!
9. Her advice to young fencers is to “keep at it.”
“There are more setbacks and obstacles than moments of victory, so keeping your focus and determination constant will enable you to overcome the trials and tribulations that come with succeeding in sport,” she told USA Fencing. “Also, remember to have fun!”
10. Her coach Brian Kaneshige is also her partner!
11. Some of her career highlights include a team bronze medal in 2019 and a team silver medal in 2022 at the World Championships, a team silver medal in 2023 and team gold medal in 2024 at the Pan American Championships and an individual bronze medal at the 2024 Pan American Championships.
12. Jackie represented the United States at the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the Tokyo Olympic Village Bubble!
13. In Tokyo, she finished 21st in the individual women’s foil competition and, heartbreakingly, 4th in the women’s team foil competition.
“It’s bittersweet to be leaving the Olympic Games falling just short of our goal as a team,” she said afterwards. “What this experience has reaffirmed is that we are so loved and supported as individuals and also collectively as a team.”
14. It’s “a dream come true” for Jackie to represent the United States once again at the Paris Olympics.
15. She’s joined on the 2024 USA Olympic fencing team by Jewish fencers Nick Itkin, Maia Weintraub, Eli Dershwitz, Mitchell Saron and Elizabeth Tartakovsky.
16. Jackie hopes to leave a mark on the sport of fencing.
“I hope that my 21-year journey in fencing has inspired young girls to unapologetically reach their dreams with passion, conviction and tenacity,” she wrote on Instagram after qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
17. She won a gold medal in the women’s team foil event in Paris alongside Maia Weintraub, Lee Keifer and Lauren Scruggs!
18. This was her reaction and her teammates’ reactions when they knew they were going to the gold medal match!
