Maher Abbas

Maher Aref Abbas (born 22 April 1966) is a former Lebanese-American athlete, who represented Lebanon at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in the men's 400m and 800m. He finished 7th place in his heat and failed to advance.

Abbas grew up in Beirut, Lebanon where he played basketball and set Lebanese U18 records in the 800 m, 1500 m, and 3000 m before immigrating to the United States in 1985, in part due to the Lebanese Civil War. He was a top contender for the Lebanese 1984 Olympic team, but he suffered broken back and leg bones from a motorcycle accident and had to skip that year's trials. He attended Emory University beginning in 1986 and was the captain of their track team, setting multiple school records and leading the team in cross country. He became the first Olympian from Emory, designing his own training program that included swimming three times a week.

Abbas later became a colorectal surgeon working in the United States and Dubai. He has published over 150 scientific articles and books.