100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Arabs

Sara Ahmed, Egypt

Weightlifting

There are few better ways to smash gender stereotypes than by competing and thriving in a sport considered to be one of the most ‘macho’. That’s exactly what Sara Ahmed has done during her incredible emergence in the sport of weightlifting. Hers is a story of what can be achieved through steely determination and supportive parents. Indeed, as a girl inspired by her brothers, the Egyptian’s father accepted her wish to start weightlifting and success has been swift. In 2016, Ahmed set the bar for Arab women by raising one above her head. History was made in Rio when she became the first Arab woman to receive an Olympic weightlifting medal with bronze in the 69kg event. Still just 21 years old, triumph in Tokyo is next in her sights and having finished third in the 71kg division at the World Weightlifting Championships last year, it’s fair to say Ahmed is on course. Away from the podium and closer to home, Ahmed’s success has tangibly empowered women in Egypt. Speaking to AFP, Mohamed Eldib, who supervised Sara and her peers in the southern Cairo district of Maadi as head coach of the national weightlifting team, said: “Female participants in weightlifting championships were no more than 30 or 40 girls. Now more than 300 girls are registered with the Egyptian Weightlifting Federation.”

– More success arrived in 2018 with gold medals in the 69kg category for the snatch and clean and jerk events at the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, Spain.

– At the 2016 Olympics she had to skip high-school exams in order to compete.

– Born in Ismailia to a weightlifting champion she started competing in international tournaments in 2012.

Did you know…

Weightlifting remains firmly in the family as Ahmed is engaged to fellow Egyptian Olympic weightlifter, Ragab Abdelhay.

“After I won the medal in Rio, girls started weightlifting in a big way in Ismailiya (Ahmed’s hometown).” Sara Ahmed (Source: Arab News)