Emad El-Shafei

Emad El-Shafei first represented Egypt in swimming at a major international tournament at the 1982 African Championships where, at the age of 16, he took gold in the 200 metres backstroke and the 400 metres individual medley and bronze in the 200 metres individual medley. His next stop was the 1983 Mediterranean Games, followed by his sole Olympic appearance in 1984 in Los Angeles. There, he was 29th in the 200 metres backstroke, 30th in the 200 metres individual medley, and 33rd in the 100 meters backstroke. He went on to compete at the 1986 World Championships, as well as the 1987 and 1991 Mediterranean Games, before retiring from active competition.

El-Shafei did not stay away from the sport long, however, and attended his first United States national championship at the masters’ level in 1994. As of 2021, he has consistently remained within the top 10 in the American masters’ nationals and has set records with the University of Maryland Masters’ swimming team. He also attended the Masters’ World Championships in 2006. By career, he earned a PhD in Civil Engineering and, as of 2021, works as the Chief of the Traffic and Transportation Division in Maryland.