Egypt’s Haydy Morsy brought home a silver and two bronze medals from the 2016 UIPM Youth World Championship tetrathlon that was recently held in Ireland, a major boost for the 16-year-old who has already qualified for the modern pentathlon event at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Modern pentathlon consists of swimming, running, shooting, fencing and riding, while the tetrathlon includes the first four disciplines.
Finishing with a total of 1,046 points, Morsy ranked third in the women’s individual tetrathlon at the World Championship. She was the third-best in fencing, shooting and running. Additionally, Morsy partnered with Rashad Sherif and the duo collected 1,180 points, placing third in the mixed team relay tetrathlon, where they ranked best in fencing.
Morsy also landed on the Irish podium with teammates Mariam Amer and Salma Abdelmaksoud, after the Egyptian women's combined scores placed second as a team, totaling 3,018 points – only 9 points behind the winner. Amer and Abdelmaksoud also won Egypt a third bronze medal for the women’s team relay event.
Morsy has thus added three medals to her Youth World Championship tally, as she won silver for her individual ranking and bronze for her team in 2015.
Head of Egypt’s Modern Pentathlon Federation Sherif Al Aryan expressed his pride in Morsy’s achievement, which he had expected, and assured that Morsy is being prepared for the 2020 Olympics.
Currently ranked 11th in the world among the women’s youth modern pentathletes, Morsy claimed the single Olympic 2016 ticket available at the 2015 African Championships, where she won gold.
Morsy already has some insight on the Olympic experience. She competed at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, placing 7th among the individual females and 18th with her mixed relay team. She won a team gold and an individual silver at the 2013 African Qualifiers. However, Morsy had qualified for the games after finishing 6th in the 2014 Youth Championships.
“I was fascinated and impressed by the event, especially the stunning opening ceremony. Since then, I have had a dream that one day I will compete in the Olympics,” she told Al-Ahram about the YOG. “I will be the youngest pentathlete (in Rio). It is a great experience for me. My target is to win a medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.”
Last year, she made it all the way to the top of the International Modern Pentathlon Union’s ranking of the Under-21 women youth and juniors.
Morsy began swimming when she was 7 years old, before being introduced to pentathlon. After winning fourth place at her first national competition, she was hooked on the sport. She claimed several titles at the junior level and began competing with the seniors in 2014.
She told Stepfeed that competing at the senior level helps her gain experience and improve her performance in junior championships.
Morsy will become Egypt’s second female Olympic modern pentathlete, after Aya Medany. Morsy seems to be following Medany’s footsteps, as the latter competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics at 15 years old. Medany returned to the Olympics in 2008 and 2012, achieving her best finish (8th place) at Beijing 2008.
Egypt sent its first Olympic modern pentathletes to Los Angeles 1984, but they have not reached the Olympic podium yet.
Morsy is headed for the 2016 Olympic modern pentathlon event alongside the El Geziry brothers Omar and Amro. Oddly enough, the latter will be joined by his wife and her sister, who will represent the United States in Rio.
When Morsy paired up with Amro El Geziry for the mixed relay event at the third World Cup in 2015, they won silver.
Haydy Morsy will take part in one last training camp in Colorado before the Rio showdown. When asked about her source of motivation, she said, “When I stand on the podium and hear the anthem of my country, this is the best feeling ever.”
As for her hopes for Rio 2016, “I hope to make all my country, family and friends proud and to finish with a good place.”