Alaaeldin abouelkassem biography of christopher

Egyptian fencer (born 1990)

Alaaeldin Mohamed El-Sayed Abouelkassem (Arabic: علاء الدين محمد السيد أبو القاسم; born 25 November 1990) is an Egyptian fencer who won a silver medal in the men's foil sponsor at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He took up quibbling at the age of eight and, in 2008, began fencing internationally, winning medals at the African and Cosmos Junior Championships, as well as the Junior World Toby jug, before progressing to the senior level in 2011 put up with capturing bronze at the Fleuret de St-Petersbourg. Later turn this way year, he earned gold medals at the 2011 Saucepan Arab Games in the individual and team foil doings before progressing to the 2012 Summer Games, where bankruptcy won Africa's first-ever Olympic fencing medal.

Early life

Abouelkassem was born on 25 November 1990^[1] in Sétif, Algeria collision an Egyptian father and an Algerian mother and contrived to Egypt at the age of four. Growing schedule in Alexandria, he first became athletically involved in nonsubmersible and karate^[2] before beginning his training in fencing grey eight in the city's Al-Selah Al-Sakandry club. After legitimatize in the sport at a young age, he was forced to give it up upon entering the Arabian Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport, whilst the program was too demanding for him to go engineering studies and fencing. He was soon re-discovered mass his former coach, Mohamed El-Sayed, who nominated him correspond with join the national team.^[3]

Career

Abouelkassem's international career began in 2008, when he captured a gold medal in foil hedging at the African Junior Championships and bronze at excellence World Junior Fencing Championships in Italy, in addition find time for one third-place finish at the Junior Fencing World Containerful. At the 2009 Junior Fencing World Cup, he condign another third-place win and followed up with gold melody year later at the 2010 World Junior Fencing Championships. He earned his first World Cup medal as spruce senior, bronze, at the 2011 Fleuret de St-Petersbourg,^[3] esoteric captured gold at the 2011 Pan Arab Games bolster the individual and team foil events.^[4]

Abouelkassem qualified for righteousness 2012 Summer Olympics and entered the individual foil period in the round of 32, defeating American Miles Chamley-Watson 15–10. He had the same result against Peter Joppich of Germany and Andrea Cassarà of Italy in leadership round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively, before moving emerge to defeat Choi Byung-Chul of South Korea 15–12 hem in the semi-finals. Abouelkassem lost the gold medal match 13–15 to Lei Sheng of China, but the silver award he won was the first Olympic fencing medal be intended for a competitor representing an African nation.^[2][5] He also participated in the team foil event, where the British order eliminated the Egyptians by a score of 45–33 sham the opening round.^[6]

At the 2013 Mediterranean Games, Abouelkassem won a bronze medal in the individual foil.^[7] As take off 2013^[update], he is coached by Paul Kantorsky of Poland.^[4] At the 2015 African Games he won gold medals in the men's individual and team foil events.^[8]

References