For the first time in the history of Egyptian, Arab, and African fencing, Egyptian fencer Ziad El-Sissy topped the world rankings in fencing with 188 points.
The Egyptian champion managed to surpass Georgian fencer Sandro Bazadze, who is in second place with 180 points. The question is, who is El-Sissy, and how did he reach this major win?
His Beginnings
Born in the port city of Alexandria, known for the lapping waves of its Mediterranean Sea, was El-Sissy. Beyond Alexandria, he was also born into a basketball family, with his father, Aly El-Sissy, being a member of Egypt’s men’s national basketball team and his brother also playing the game.
Beyond basketball, from a very young age, as young as 11, El Sissy got into fencing, later joining the National team.
Then he took a leap by leaving the Mediterranean behind and heading to Michigan, where he pursued his education at Wayne State University. There, he joined the men’s fencing team, showing great promise and claiming the most victories in the program’s history, all while completing his degree in mechanical engineering.
His Journey To The Tokyo 2020 Olympics
From the get-go, El Sissy had a dream of going to the Olympics, one that was fueled by his father, who was in every practice and was his son’s biggest support system. Over time, the athlete ended up qualifying and competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
He ended up getting 14th place in Individual Men’s Sabre, and Egypt got 6th in Team Men’s Sabre. Not winning one of the 3 major medals was a big loss for El Sissy as he wanted to make his late father proud.
Gold After Gold After Gold
Fast forward to 2022, and El Sissy was able to hold up the gold medal in pride during the Mediterranean Games, a win for himself and a win for his father. Then came 2024, when he won the gold medal at the Seoul Grand Prix.
Now, the athlete is gearing up for the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will take place starting this month on July 24. We cannot wait to see what path he will continue to pave in his upcoming sporting future.