Filipino American Harvard fencer to compete at Paris 2024 Olympics
By Bryan Ke
Mitchell Saron, a Filipino American student at Harvard University who recently secured a spot on Team USA’s fencing lineup, said he was overjoyed after realizing that he would soon fulfill his childhood dream of competing at the Olympics.
Key points:
- Team USA’s fencing team announced on X on March 27 that Saron, 23, will be competing in Men’s Saber for both individual and team categories at the 2024 Summer Olympics Games in Paris.
- Saron secured his spot after their fencing team won a silver medal at the Padua World Cup on March 3 and a gold medal at the Men’s Saber World Cup in Budapest, Hungary, on March 24.
What he’s saying:
- In an interview with The Harvard Crimson, Saron admitted he was still in disbelief about what had happened. He said, “This achievement is a dream come true, one I’ve had since I was nine years old and first picked up a saber.”
- He explained that most of his Olympics qualifying points were earned in the first half of the season, when he was not “battling injuries.” Saron added, “When I mathematically qualified for Team USA – as in, I had enough points for no other USA fencers to pass me in the rankings – it was a mixture of relief and excitement.”
- Saron told the Crimson that he made significant lifestyle changes in order to prepare his body for Olympic qualification. He revealed that he had to stop drinking alcohol and transition to a diet consisting of grass-fed and wild-caught animals, as well as fermented vegetables.
- Saron, whose mother is Filipino, shared with the Philippine Inquirer that his great-grandfather was a swordsman in the Philippines. He said, “When you look to build your future, you can draw strength from your past. I’m so grateful to get to represent my family and continue the legacy.”
- Prior to his latest achievement, Saron earned three First-Team All-Ivy honors, one First-Team All-American honor, one Second-Team All-American honor and an individual NCAA title.
What’s next:
- Saron will be joined by fellow Harvard University students Filip Dolegiewicz and Colin Heathcock and Harvard graduate Eli Dershwitz on the U.S.A. fencing team.
- The team will head to the April North American Cup and Division I National Championships in Salt Lake City on April 25. They will then compete at the Seoul Grand Prix on May 4-6.
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