Egyptian female weightlifter Sara Ahmed Samir is a strong contender for the gold in Paris. The 26-year-old made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics by becoming the first Egyptian woman to win an Olympic medal in any sport. She secured a bronze medal in the women’s 69kg weightlifting event, lifting a personal best of 255kg (112kg in the snatch and 143kg in the clean and jerk).
Following her success in Rio, Sara continued to excel in her sport. In 2017, she won gold in the Clean and Jerk at the World Championships. The following year, she claimed silver at the 2018 World Championships and earned three gold medals in Colombia in 2022. She repeated this achievement at the 2023 World Championships in Riyadh.
Despite missing the Tokyo 2020 Games due to the suspension of the Egyptian weightlifting federation, Sara is determined to compete in Paris and is aiming for the gold. She has been training rigorously, both physically and technically, with the goal of winning despite the challenging competition.
Notably, Sara has switched her category and will compete in the 81kg event instead of her usual 76kg.
Daughter of the coastal city of Ismailia, Sara is set to represent Egypt in Paris and will serve as one of the flagbearers alongside Ahmed Elgendy at the opening ceremony. Her event is scheduled for 10 August, and she has high hopes that her dream will become a reality.
Source: Al Ahram Online
