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Alaaeldin Abouelkassem facts for kids

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Alaaeldin Abouelkassem
Alaaeldin Abouelkassem Challenge Revenu 2013.jpg
Abouelkassem at the Challenge Revenu 2013
Personal information
Full name Alaaeldin Mohamed El-Sayed Abouelkassem
Born (1990-11-25) 25 November 1990 (age 34)
Sétif, Algeria
Nationality Egyptian
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 82 kg (181 lb)
Sport
Country Egypt
Sport Fencing
Weapon foil
Hand left-handed
FIE ranking current ranking
Medal record
Men's foil
Representing  Egypt
Olympic Games
Silver 2012 London Foil
Pan Arab Games
Gold 2011 Doha Foil
Gold 2011 Doha Team foil
Mediterranean Games
Bronze 2013 Mersin Foil
African Games
Gold 2015 Brazzaville Foil
Gold 2015 Brazzaville Team foil
Gold 2019 Rabat Foil
Gold 2019 Rabat Team foil
African Championships
Gold 2024 Casablanca Team foil
Bronze 2024 Casablanca Foil

Alaaeldin Mohamed El-Sayed Abouelkassem (born November 25, 1990) is an amazing fencer from Egypt. He is famous for winning a silver medal in the men's foil event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This was a huge moment because it was the first Olympic fencing medal ever won by an athlete from an African country!

Alaaeldin started fencing when he was just eight years old. By 2008, he was competing internationally and winning medals. He won awards at junior championships and the Junior World Cup. In 2011, he moved up to compete at the senior level. That same year, he won gold medals at the 2011 Pan Arab Games.

About Alaaeldin

Alaaeldin Abouelkassem was born on November 25, 1990, in Sétif, Algeria. His father was Egyptian, and his mother was Algerian. When he was four years old, his family moved to Egypt.

He grew up in the city of Alexandria. As a young boy, he first tried out sports like swimming and karate. But at age eight, he found his passion: fencing! He trained at the Al-Selah Al-Sakandry club in his city.

Later, when he started studying engineering at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport, he had to stop fencing for a bit. His studies were very demanding. But his old coach, Mohamed El-Sayed, found him again. His coach encouraged him to join the national fencing team, and Alaaeldin's amazing career continued!

His Fencing Journey

Alaaeldin's international fencing career really took off in 2008.

  • He won a gold medal at the African Junior Championships in foil fencing.
  • He also earned a bronze medal at the World Junior Fencing Championships in Italy.
  • He placed third at the Junior Fencing World Cup.

In 2009, he got another third-place win at the Junior Fencing World Cup. A year later, in 2010, he won a gold medal at the World Junior Fencing Championships.

As a senior fencer, he won his first World Cup medal, a bronze, in 2011. That same year, he won two gold medals at the 2011 Pan Arab Games. He won both the individual foil event and the team foil event.

Olympic Success

Alaaeldin qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He competed in the individual foil event. He showed incredible skill, winning against top fencers from around the world.

  • In the first round, he beat Miles Chamley-Watson from the USA.
  • He then defeated Peter Joppich of Germany.
  • Next, he won against Andrea Cassarà of Italy in the quarterfinals.
  • In the semi-finals, he beat Choi Byung-Chul from South Korea.

He made it all the way to the gold medal match! He faced Lei Sheng from China and lost by a close score of 13–15. Even though he didn't win gold, his silver medal was historic. It was the first time an African country had won an Olympic medal in fencing!

Alaaeldin also competed in the team foil event at the 2012 Olympics. His Egyptian team was eliminated by the British team in the first round.

Later Achievements

Alaaeldin continued to achieve great things in fencing.

  • At the 2013 Mediterranean Games, he won a bronze medal in the individual foil event.
  • In 2015, at the 2015 African Games, he won two more gold medals! He won both the men's individual and team foil events.
  • He continued his success at the 2019 African Games, winning gold medals in both individual and team foil again.
  • In 2024, he won a gold medal in team foil and a bronze medal in individual foil at the 2024 African Fencing Championships.

His coach, Paul Kantorsky from Poland, has helped him a lot throughout his career.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alaaeldin Abouelkassem para niños

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