By: Yomna Walid&nbsp;
At just 15 years old, Mohamed Hamza stepped onto the Olympic stage at Rio 2016, carrying the Egyptian flag and focused on one thing: representing his country and learning from the experience. Today, the three-time Egyptian Olympian and foil fencer has established himself among the sport&rsquo;s elite, recently adding a gold medal at the 2026 Mediterranean Games to his growing list of achievements.
With his sights now firmly set on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Hamza continues to chase the biggest titles in fencing and hopes to make history by standing on the Olympic podium.
Fencing has also been a family affair for Hamza. His father, Maher Hamza, Head of the Technical Committee of the Egyptian Fencing Federation, has played an important role throughout his son&rsquo;s journey, sharing his experience, keeping him motivated and remaining one of his biggest supporters.
Following his gold-medal victory at the 2026 Mediterranean Games, NileFM spoke exclusively with Mohamed Hamza about his latest achievement, the challenges he has overcome throughout his career, representing Egypt on the world&rsquo;s biggest stages, his father&rsquo;s influence and his ambitions for Los Angeles 2028.
You are a three-time Egyptian Olympic foil fencer. After winning gold at the 2026 Mediterranean Games, how does this achievement feel, particularly after such a competitive tournament?
It feels great to be at the top of the podium again and represent Egypt in the best way possible at the Games. I&rsquo;m very motivated to be at the top again soon in the next international competition.
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The competition was tough. Tell us about your preparation in the build-up to the Mediterranean Games and what you focused on most.
We had just finished our international season with the World Championships in July, so it was all about staying physically sharp. The motivation was simple because it&rsquo;s always great to represent Egypt at any Games, and it was a great opportunity to end my 2025/26 season on a high.
Looking back at your career so far, what has been the toughest moment you have faced, and how did you overcome it?
My toughest moment is related to injuries. During the season before the qualification year for the Paris 2024 Olympics, I suffered a crash on my bicycle with a car that ended with me in hospital, needing 30 stitches and a long-term recovery from a bad concussion.
Fighting through that and pushing myself to continue my progress on the world stage and in the rankings required a lot of faith and perseverance. I was able to excel throughout and after my recovery from such an incident.
You have won several major medals throughout your career. How does winning your first major medal compare with winning a title today? And what has the journey taught you about yourself?
My first major medal felt like a relief but also pure excitement at the fact that I had marked my position among the elite in my sport. This medal is proof to myself that I continue to be a strong competitor and have lots to look forward to in my career as I stay hungry for more success!
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You have represented Egypt on some of the biggest stages in world sport. What does that mean to you?
It means the world to me to be able to raise our flag and show the strength that we Egyptians have! To be able to compete with the flag on my uniform and bring pride to Egyptians with our performances makes me happy. I&rsquo;m always so honoured to compete for Egypt and represent the country worldwide.
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You have competed at three Olympic Games, from Rio 2016 to Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. How has each Olympic experience changed you, both as an athlete and as a person?
At Rio, I was 15 years old. Being so young at the Games, I had no pressure on myself and just allowed myself to learn what it was like on the biggest stage. For me, the achievement was qualifying and competing at Rio so I could prepare myself for the following Olympics in Tokyo.
At Tokyo, I was making a name for myself in the senior category after having just finished world number one in the junior category. I got Covid-19 right before the Games, unfortunately, so I had no expectations of myself and just chose to enjoy it. I beat the British fencer who won silver at the previous World Championships and then beat an Italian fencing legend to make the quarter-finals.
It was a huge boost to my confidence, and I went on in the following Olympic cycle to become one of the best in the sport and establish myself as a top-three fencer by 2024.
At Paris, having had the experience of the previous two Games and the confidence that came with my career improving year after year and climbing the world rankings, I again made it to the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, the hamstring strain I suffered right before Paris 2024 held me back, as the pain kept growing throughout the competition day, and fifth place was my fate.
But it&rsquo;s great to see the progress over the years, from growing as a breakthrough athlete to becoming an established top-tier athlete in fencing. My confidence and skill set were getting better and better with every Olympics.
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You are now targeting Los Angeles 2028. What would you like your fourth Olympic Games to look like, and what would make it different from the first three?
At the peak of my game, age-wise, I&rsquo;m looking to get the gold in LA28. I feel my experience, age profile and confidence will help me massively in the upcoming Games.
Your father, Maher Hamza, has been by your side throughout your journey. What is the biggest lesson he has taught you, both inside and outside fencing?
There will always be ups and downs in life, but you have to keep believing and working hard because, in the long run, it pays off and consistently helps you overcome difficulties whenever they happen.
What is the toughest piece of advice your father has ever given you?
Accepting the sacrifices that come with wanting to be an elite athlete and recognising that extra work always needs to be done, whether it&rsquo;s physical, technical or mental, to stay at the top.
What do people often misunderstand about the mental pressure of being an elite athlete?
Experience makes dealing with high-pressure scenarios simpler over time, but we&rsquo;re humans with highs and lows, and having no guarantee of results after hard work is difficult to accept. You won&rsquo;t always be immediately rewarded for your hard work, but you just have to keep going and believing.
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If you could speak to the 15-year-old Mohamed Hamza, who dreamed of competing at the Olympics, what would you tell him today?
There will be lots of ups and downs, but continue to believe in yourself and know that hard work truly does pay off!
You have competed at three Olympics, won major international titles and now added Mediterranean Games gold to your r&eacute;sum&eacute;. What is the dream Mohamed Hamza still wants to achieve?
World Championship gold and Olympic gold! I want to be at the top of the podium on the biggest stages and make history.
Photo Credit: Mohamed Hamza's official page

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