Lindenwood synchronized swimmer Reem Abdalazem led Egypt to its best finish in history at the 2012 Olympic Games in London August 10. The two-time Olympian and returning junior was part of the “Survival of the Fittest” squad that finished seventh, which topped the previous best finish of eighth.
After opening up a narrow 0.100 lead over a veteran Australian team with a 77.600 score during the technical team event, Egypt followed with a 78.360 in the free final for the finish.
Abdalazem reflected on the differences between the London games and her previous appearance in 2008.
“This was a very different experience than the last Olympics,” she said. “As the youngest team competing, we had a clear goal and a clear way to approach it. We worked hard on our weak points like lifts, strength, and speed, and tried to maintain the highest artistic impression we could.”
While Abdalazem provides an obvious link between the Lindenwood and Egyptian teams, the connection went even further. She and Lindenwood junior Anouk Eman won the bronze medal at the 2012 U.S. Collegiate Championships and Abdalazem brought the music and choreography to the Olympics.
“For the free team competition, I thought the music from the Collegiate Championships was very motivating and appropriate for such an event, so I shared it with the my national team and they loved it,” she said. “Since it was the original music from our Lindenwood bronze-medal duet, I was able to use some of the same arm strokes as I thought they looked very strong and emotional.”
NBC analyst Heather Olson noted the success of Egypt and the contribution from Abdalazem remarking that the leadership and proficiency she developed while training at Lindenwood was a big factor in the team’s improvement since the Beijing Olympics.
Abdalazem finished first in Egypt’s Olympic Team Trials last fall, but with the recent political instability in her country, having support from the Lindenwood community has been important as she commuted between home and the United States the past two years.
“Training in Egypt was very hard because of the lack of resources or any support for our program, to the point that it was often a challenge just to get to practice,” she said. “It was very stressful and frustrating at times trying to manage school work, focus on synchronized swimming and adapt to the new unstable political environment at home. But, in the end, it was a great journey that allowed me to fulfill my dreams! I’m so glad I was able to represent Lindenwood in London and I’m happy we reached our goals as a team.”
Watch NBC Coverage of Reem Abdalazem and Team Egypt
Team Egypt Technical at 16:47
Team Egypt Free Final at 15:32
