Gerek Meinhardt made his Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games. He made his second Olympic appearance at the 2012 Games where he placed fourth in the foil team event.
The veteran Olympian is now taking on his third Olympic Games with the chance to win his first medal.
The U.S. men have not secured a team foil medal in over 80 years, but the current squad of Meinhardt, Alex Massialas and Miles Chamley-Watson, along with alternate Race Imboden, will look to change that. The United States is the only nation that can boast its entire team is currently ranked in world's top-20.
Meinhardt, who graduated from Notre Dame University, was the youngest athlete ever to compete on a U.S. Olympic Fencing team and youngest male member of any sport on Team USA in the 2008 Olympics.
Meinhardt's individual journey began at 8 a.m. Sunday, when he bested Canada's Maximilien Van Haaster 15-4. He took on France's Erwan Le Pechoux at 10:30 a.m., winning 15-14 but lost in the quarterfinals to Britain's Richard Kruse, 15-13.
The foil team competition will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, when the US takes on Egypt.
