Tanta-born Ahmed Kandil honed his swimming schools during World War II and drew attention on the Egyptian national scene as early as 1945. In 1948 he became the Egyptian 200 metres breaststroke champion and was selected to represent his country in this event at the 1948 London Olympics. There, he reached the final and placed seventh, which remains the best ever result for Egypt in Olympic swimming as of 2020. He also competed in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay and was eliminated in round one alongside Ali Bagdadi, Taha El-Gamal, and Abdel Aziz Khalifa. The following year, he defended his 200 metres title and added the 100 metres breaststroke title to his name. Unfortunately, his promising career ended the following year when he was killed in action while serving in the Egyptian Air Force.
Egypt