A dominant run on the international circuit has propelled Egyptian fencer Mohamed al-Sayed to the top of the global men’s épée rankings, earning the #1 spot.
The achievement comes on the heels of his gold-medal performance at the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy.
Al-Sayed—who earned bronze for Egypt at the Paris 2024 Olympics—clinched the title after overcoming teammate Youssef Shamel 14–11 in a close-fought, all-Egyptian final that saw Shamel take silver.
He laid the groundwork for his win with a perfect sweep through the group phase.
Moving into the knockout rounds, he edged past Italy’s Filippo Armaleo 12–11 in the round of 16 before delivering a commanding 15–6 victory against Italian fencer Valerio Cuomo in the quarter-finals.
In the semi-finals, the Egyptian star turned back Portugal’s Miguel Frazão 15–10 to set up his final clash with Shamel.
Setting the tone for Egypt’s delegation earlier in the multi-sport event, al-Sayed served as a national flag bearer during the 20th Mediterranean Games opening ceremony in Taranto, sharing the honor with star swimmer Farida Osman.
