Fatma Omar

{{Infobox sportsperson

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| name = Fatma Omar

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| nationality = Egyptian

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| birth_date = {{birth_date_and_age|1973|11|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Cairo, Egypt

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| country = Egypt

| sport = Powerlifting

| event = 56kg

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| height = {{convert|145|cm}}

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Fatma Omar (born 17 November 1973) is an Egyptian powerlifter competing in the -56 kg category. She is a dominant power in her sport, winning gold in her event in four Summer Paralympics, and another four gold medals at the IPC Powerlifting World Championships.

Personal history

Omar was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1973.{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/powerlifting/athlete-profile-n1457959-omar-fatma.htm |title=Powerlifting - OMAR Fatma |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=30 August 2021 |quote=Date of Birth: 17 Oct 1973, Place of birth: CAIRO |archive-date=30 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830044214/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/powerlifting/athlete-profile-n1457959-omar-fatma.htm |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/asp/lib/theasp.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=515&personid=689350 |title=Omar, Fatma |access-date=4 September 2016 |work=IPC |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913171023/https://www.paralympic.org/asp/lib/theasp.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=515&personid=689350 |archivedate=13 September 2016}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/athlete/fatma-omar |title=Paralympic - OMAR Fatma - Powerlifting - Egypt |access-date=30 September 2016 |work=Rio 2016 Paralympics |publisher=Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030083010/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/athlete/fatma-omar |archive-date=30 October 2016 |quote=Date of birth: November 17, 1973}} At the age of one she was contracted polio, which resulted in spinal damage. She has two daughters.

Powerlifting career

Omar first represented her country at the 1998 IPC Powerlifting World Championships, held in Dubai. She entered one of the lowest weight categories, the 44 kg, winning the gold medal. Following this success she was selected to compete at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. At the Sydney Games she competed in the 44 kg weight class taking the gold medal with a lift of 109 kg, beating Lucy Ogechukwu Ejike of Nigeria. Four years later at the Athens Games, Omar moved up to the 56 kg class. She outclassed the field with a lift of 127.5 kg.

At the 2008 Beijing Games, Omar again competed at the 56 kg level. She broke the world record with a winning lift of 141.5 kg.

After her win in Beijing, Nigeria's Lucy Ejike stated that she would move up to Omar's weight division to challenge for the 56 kg weight class. This led to a showdown at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London with her rival from Athens.{{cite web |url=https://m.paralympic.org/news-510 |title=Nigeria aiming high at Fazaa Powerlifting Championships |date=21 February 2013 |access-date=29 October 2016 |work=paralympic.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029235425/https://m.paralympic.org/news-510 |archive-date=29 October 2016}} Ejike took the lead in the first round with a lift of 135 kg but she was unable to better this attempt, while Omar improved her record from Beijing with a final lift of 142 kg taking her fourth gold medal.

Four years later Ejike and Omar met for the third time at a Paralympic Games, when thy both entered the 2016 Games in Rio. After London the International Paralympic Committee changed the powerlifting weight categories for both men and women, and the two competed in the women's 61 kg division. The year previous Mexico's Amalia Perez had set a world record in the 61 kg with a lift of 133 kg, which Ejike surpassed with her first lift of 135 kg.{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/rio-2016/schedule-results/info-live-results/rio-2016/eng/zz/engzz_powerlifting-event-overview-women-s-61-kg.htm |title=Results - Women's -61 kg Group A |work=International Paralympic Committee |access-date=29 October 2016 |date=11 September 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030000723/https://www.paralympic.org/rio-2016/schedule-results/info-live-results/rio-2016/eng/zz/engzz_powerlifting-event-overview-women-s-61-kg.htm |archive-date=30 October 2016}} Omar had failed at 133 kg on her first lift, but was successful at the same weight on her second attempt. Ejike improved her lead with her second lift, setting her second world record of the day with a weight of 138 kg. Omar responded with a final lift of 140 kg, putting Ejike into silver medal place. Unfortunately for Omar, Ejike lifted 142 kg to leave Omar with the silver medal for the first time in her Paralympic career.

She won the bronze medal in her event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia.{{Cite web |date=1 December 2021 |title=Tbilisi 2021: Ejike and Bettir win nail-biting battles |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/tbilisi-2021-ejike-and-bettir-win-nail-biting-battles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201202940/https://www.paralympic.org/news/tbilisi-2021-ejike-and-bettir-win-nail-biting-battles |archive-date=1 December 2021 |access-date=1 December 2021 |website=Paralympic.org}}{{Cite web |title=2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships Results Book |url=https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/2021_WCH_Senior_%20Results%20Book.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224225926/https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/2021_WCH_Senior_%20Results%20Book.pdf |archive-date=24 December 2021 |access-date=24 December 2021 |website=Paralympic.org}}