From nabbing the first Egyptian medal in this year’s Olympics to the controversy surrounding a 7-month pregnant fencer competing, the pharaonic fencers are the talk of the town this year.
So, let’s take a look at some of the Egyptian fencers who have joined and already competed in the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics.
Mohammed El Sayed
With aspirations to win a medal at the 2024 Olympics, Mohammed El Sayed has made history by securing Egypt’s first Olympic medal this year, clinching bronze in the Men’s Epee Individual.
This victory not only marks a major milestone for Egypt but also makes it the country’s second fencing medal, following Alaaeldin Abouelkassem’s silver in London 2012, and the fourth medal for Arab fencers in the history of the Olympics.
But who is El Sayed?
Starting his fencing journey at just six years old in Tanta, Egypt, the young fencer fell in love with the sport.
Since then, he has earned impressive accolades, including the International Fencing Federation’s (FIE) annual award for the top junior men’s epee fencer in 2022/23.
He was also named Best Male Athlete of the Year and Male Fencing Team MVP by Long Island University in the USA. And in 2022, he received Egypt’s First Class Sports Medal.
He also comes from a family of champions. His older brother Ahmed competed for Egypt in the world championships from 2018 to 2023, and his father Samy has coached the Egyptian national fencing team. So it’s in their roots!
Nada Hafez
Coming next is Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez, who shocked the world by revealing that she competed at the Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant.
She shared on Instagram that she was “carrying a little Olympian one” just hours after reaching the round of 16 in Women’s Sabre.
This announcement has caused quite a stir on social media, with some people applauding her and others criticizing the decision and labeling it as irresponsible.
Besides this controversy, Hafez has always excelled in nearly everything she pursued. Being a former gymnast with a degree in medicine, she is a three-time Olympian who also won gold medals in both the individual and team sabre at the 2019 African Games.
Abdelrahman Tolba
This Olympic Games is special for Egyptian fencer Abdelrahman Tolba. First, it’s his first time joining the Olympics. Second, he celebrated his 17th birthday on July 29th while playing in the Olympics. You do the math!
During the current Olympics, after facing a tough match in the Men’s Foil, Tolba fell short in the round of 16 against America’s Nick Atkin. However, it was still his birthday as a first-time Olympian!
Tolba already boasts a bronze medal from the 2023 Cadet World Championship in foil and is a two-time individual African Championship medalist, securing silver in 2024 and bronze in 2023.
Ziad El Sissy
After making history by topping the world rankings for the first time in Egyptian, Arab, and African fencing, Ziad El Sissy has been making waves in the fencing world.
In the 2024 Games, he showed an impressive performance, winning against Germany’s Matyas Szabo in the quarterfinals. However, in the semifinals, he faced a setback, losing to Tunisia’s Fares Ferjani, who holds the 13th spot in the world rankings.
His journey is still packed with impressive achievements. He snagged the gold medal in the men’s individual sabre at the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Algeria and proudly represented Egypt at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
He also comes from a family with deep roots in sports. His father was a member of the Egypt men’s national basketball team, which is why he initially took up basketball. But his mother encouraged him to explore an individual sport, leading him to fencing.
In addition to his athletic prowess, he has shared his expertise as a coach at the Tim Morehouse Fencing Club in the USA.
Alaaeldin Abouelkassem
Known as the first Egyptian fencer who won an Olympic medal, clinching silver in the Men’s Foil at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the four-time Olympian Alaaeldin Abouelkassem is a celebrated name in fencing.
Despite his early exit from the Men’s Foil Individual at Paris 2024, where he lost to Kazuki Iimura in the Round of 32, his legacy in the sport remains formidable.
Abouelkassem’s journey began at age eight at the Al-Selah Al-Sakandry club in Alexandria, Egypt. He was drawn to fencing because he preferred its strategic depth and technical skill over the physical combat of karate and the challenges of swimming.
He received the Emerging Athlete Award in January 2013 and Egypt’s First Class Sports Medal. Also, he and taekwondoka Hedaya Malak proudly carried the Egyptian flag at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mohammed Amer
Our next pharaonic fencer is Mohammed Amer, who has made a name for himself on the global stage. He started fencing in 2009 at El Shams Club in Cairo, Egypt, initially dabbling in football and judo before switching to fencing.
Amer has represented Egypt at both the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. He clinched the Senior Men’s Sabre title at the 2015 African Championship in Egypt and the U20 Men’s Sabre title at the 2015/2016 African Championship in Mali.
During this Olympics version, Amer encountered Bazadze in the quarterfinals, a two-time European champion and silver medalist at the World Championship, and Amer was edged out in this round.
Along with being an athlete, the Egyptian fencer has also shared his expertise as a coach at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club in the USA.
Nardine Ehab
Another standout first-time Olympian is Nardine Ehab, who began fencing at the age of 11.
With an impressive track record, she has earned four medals at the African Games—one gold, one silver, and two bronze. She has also claimed three individual African Championship titles in epee, with one gold, one silver, and one bronze.
In her Olympic debut this year, she finished 31st in the Women’s Épée Individual.
Her journey into fencing began when a coach recognized her potential and convinced her father to let her try the sport. Encouraged by her father, she took the leap and embraced fencing.
Today, Nardine not only competes but also works as a coach at Ignite Egypt.
Yara El-Sharkawy
Wrapping up with Yara El-Sharkawy, this Egyptian fencer showcased her skills in the Women’s Foil at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she finished 27th in individual foil and eighth in the team.
Although she was eliminated in the Round of 32 at the 2024 Paris Olympics, El-Sharkawy’s achievements extend beyond this massive sporting event. She is a three-time Asian Games medalist, with one gold and two bronze medals.
In addition to that, she has an impressive collection of seven individual African Championship medals, including two gold, two silver, and three bronze.
While not all these athletes may have secured medals this year, their impressive achievements and dedication are truly commendable. We take immense pride in their remarkable careers and contributions to the sport.
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