The Olympic Games are about culture, national pride, establishing relationships and, most importantly, making impossible dreams a reality. Egypt is not a stranger in this special arena, as the pharaohs are about to send their biggest Olympic delegation in history to Paris 2024 with 146 athletes in 22 sports. Here we walk you through a brief summary of Egypt’s top medal contenders.
Prime Champions Ready to Succeed
Ahmed El Gendy (Modern Pentathlon)
In the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Ahmed El Gendy became the first African athlete to win a medal in modern pentathlon. El Gendy hopes to add an Olympic gold medal to his collection in Paris 2024 to accompany past achievements such as gold medals in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, the 2021 World Junior Championships and the 2023 World Modern Pentathlon Championships in Bath, United Kingdom.
Karim Abokahla (Weightlifting)
96-kilogramme Karim Abokahla has dominated the African championships for the last five years, and landed his place on the global stage in 2022 when he took silver in the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria. Afterwards, his gold medal in the 2023 Weightlifting World Championships in Riyadh led him to a world ranking of fourth, securing a competitive position against the phenomenal Bulgarian- Lebanese lifter, Karlos Nasar.
Sara Samir (Weightlifting)
Iconic athlete Sara Samir became the first Egyptian woman to win an Olympic medal by winning a bronze in the 69-kilogramme weightlifting event in Rio 2016. Samir continued to win medals while advancing in weight classes, becoming a world champion in the 76-kilogramme class in 2022 and 2023. She’s now heading into Paris 2024 as a top competitor in the 81-kilogramme category along with the Ecuadorian champion, Neisi Dajomes.
Seif Eissa (Taekwondo)
Seif Eissa has been a notable name in Egyptian taekwondo ever since he won a silver medal in the Baku 2016 Grand Prix competition. He continued to harness his exceptional physical abilities through international training camps, leading to his bronze medal in the 80-kilogramme category in Tokyo 2020. Afterwards, he continued his streak of achievements by consecutively winning bronze medals in the 2022 and 2023 world championships. Eissa aspires to win a second Olympic medal in Paris 2024.
Ambitious Athletes Close to Victory
Amr Reda (Wrestling)
Freestyle wrestling champion Amr Reda stands out as one of Egypt’s finest wrestling competitors. Reda won two consecutive gold medals in the El Jadida and Hammamet African Championships, respectively. The rising star most recently won a bronze medal at the 2023 Budapest Grand Prix competition. Reda hopes to win Egypt’s first Olympic medal in freestyle wrestling, but he will have to face some top talents, such as Zaurbek Sidakov.
Mohamed Ibrahim (Wrestling)
Mohamed Ibrahim broke Egypt’s 16-year wrestling drought by winning a bronze medal in Tokyo 2020 in the 67 Greco-Roman wrestling category, narrowly defeating the reigning Russian champion. Ibrahim previously was a U23 world champion in 2018 and 2019, consecutively. However, a series of shoulder injuries took a toll on him, and he just managed to qualify for Paris 2024. Ibrahim’s chances of winning a medal in the upcoming games depend on his physical condition, as his raw talent is unparalleled.
Football Team
Football is the most popular sport in Egypt, with millions of fans supporting their national team in international tournaments. The pharaohs enter the Paris 2024 tournament with their sights set on repeating or beating past achievements, as Egypt came in fourth in 1928 and 1964, respectively. The team is expected to be led by Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah in the well-balanced global stage against Spain, Uzbekistan and the Dominican Republic.
Handball Team
Egypt’s handball team has been the country’s pride and joy ever since the mid-nineties, and the golden generation reached the semifinals in the 2001 World Men’s Handball Championship for the first time in history. Egypt’s second golden generation rose like a phoenix to become the second non-European team after South Korea to reach the Olympic semifinals in Tokyo 2020. Egypt enters Paris 2024 with a well-balanced roster that consists of several rising stars and a few experienced veterans, hoping to clinch a historic medal.
Veterans Making Their Last Stand
Azmy Mehelba (Skeet Shooting)
With exceptional mental discipline and zero hesitation, Azmy Mehelba is an exemplary Olympic skeet shooter. Mehelba was the first Egyptian to win a World Championship in skeet shooting in 2022 in Osijek, Croatia. However, the Egyptian champion who leads the Paris 2024 nomination rankings won’t find it easy to win an Olympic gold medal, as he will be up against notable names with tonnes of experience, such as Jesper Hansen and Vincent Hancock.
Abdlatif Manie (Wrestling)
As the reigning African champion for the past eight years, Abdlatif Manie stands out as a relatively rare Egyptian heavyweight. Manie’s greatest achievement to date was winning a bronze medal in the 2023 Wrestling World Championship in Belgrade, Egypt’s first medal in the men’s Greco-Roman events since 2006. The Egyptian giant will compete against the 12-time European champion Riza Kayaalp and the Iranian powerhouse Amin Mirzazadeh in Paris 2024.
Ziad El Sissy (Sabre Fencing)
Ziad El Sissy leads a generation of rising fencing talents who are expected to achieve remarkable results in the upcoming Olympic Games. El Sissy became the first Egyptian to win a sabre fencing medal at the 2023 World Fencing Championships in Milan, Italy, taking home bronze. He then landed second place in world rankings in 2024 with several bronze metals. El Sissy will face tough competition in Paris 2024 from the Georgian champion, Sandro Bazadze.
Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (Foil Fencing)
One of Egypt’s most special Olympic medals belongs to the iconic fencer, Alaaeldin Abouelkassem, who became the first African athlete to win a medal in foil fencing when he took silver in London 2012. However, Abouelkassem faced a series of challenging injuries, which prevented him from continuing his international success. The experienced Olympian managed to achieve a recent comeback by reaching the quarterfinals in Tokyo 2020. His experience will be tested in Paris against the exceptional talent of Tommaso Marini and Nick Itkin.
Rising Stars Creating an Impact
Mohanad Shaban (Modern Pentathlon)
Ahmed El Gendy’s silver medal inspired many young talents to believe in their dreams, including Mohanad Shabaan. Shabaan first gained international attention by winning a gold medal in the relay events of the 2019 World Junior Championships in Drzonkow, Poland. He since secured an Olympic spot for Paris 2024 with two gold medals in the 2023 World Championships in Bath, U.K. He faces stiff competition, including Emiliano Hernandez and Prades Valentin.
Mohamed Hamza (Foil Fencing)
Since winning a silver medal in the 2019 African Championship in Bamako, Mali at only 19 years old, Mohamed Hamza has been a top rising talent in the world of foil fencing. Hamza was the first Egyptian to win a World Cup gold medal in 2023, boosting his worldwide ranking. He’s currently fourth, giving him a nice advantage with the Olympic draw.
Neama Said (Weightlifting)
The 2018 Youth Summer Olympics witnessed the rise of several distinguished athletes, including Neama Said, the silver medallist in the 58-kilogrammes weightlifting category. Said reached her greatest accomplishment by winning the gold medal in the 2021 World Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She is currently a top contender for an Olympic medal as her numbers are close to those of her main competitors in the 71-kilogrammes weight category, including Olivia Reeves and Angie Palacios.
Mohamed El Sayed (Epee Fencing)
Epee fencing is a tough specialisation compared to sabre and foil fencing, as it needs a higher level of speed and accuracy. Egypt’s rising talent, Mohamed El Sayed, is the country’s hope to make an unprecedented achievement in that category. At only 18 years old in Tokyo 2020, El Sayed managed to reach the quarterfinal and narrowly lost to the Ukrainian veteran, Igor Reizlin, who eventually won the bronze medal. After years of continuous development, El Sayed won the gold medal at the 2024 African Championship in Morrocco, giving him high hopes heading to Paris.
