Ahmed Elgendy said a conversation with Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah in January has given him extra motivation to secure a historic gold medal when he takes part in the modern pentathlon at the Paris Olympics.
Elgendy, 24, made history at the 2020 Tokyo Games by becoming the first African and Arab athlete to win an Olympic modern pentathlon medal.
Wearing his silver medal from Tokyo, Elgendy posted a picture alongside the Liverpool star, praising his humility and respect.
"Salah is a role model for all of us [Egyptians]. Having a conversation with him, not just taking a photo, is a very big thing," Elgendy said.
"We talked about the Olympics and preparations; it was a very good meeting."
Elgendy was a relative unknown when he took part in the Tokyo Games.
A late rally in the men's individual event saw him finish just behind gold medallist Joe Choong of Britain.
Since then, he has been beset by injuries, including a shoulder injury that forced him out of the semi-finals of the Pentathlon World Championships in Zhengzhou, China last month.
However, after an intensive rehabilitation programme, he has been declared fit for the Paris Olympics and hopes to deliver a gold medal.
"Things are different now compared to Tokyo; I'm more experienced and confident. Over the past three years, I've participated in only seven championships due to my shoulder injuries, yet I won medals in five of them," Elgendy said.
"My primary target is to win gold, but I will also be happy if I win a silver or bronze as it will mark a second successive Olympic medal."
Modern pentathlon athletes will face an added challenge in Paris with a riding contest in both the semi-finals and the final. In Tokyo, this event was part of a single-round format.
In the equestrian competition, riders are allocated random horses just 20 minutes before the start. The horse-riding contest will be scrapped altogether from the 2028 Los Angeles Games, making way for obstacle racing.
"There is a bigger risk now with regards to horse riding; it's a bigger challenge. We hope things will go smoothly," Elgendy added.
Elgendy, currently ranked fourth in the world, carries Egypt's primary hope of glory in Paris. He has also been selected as Egypt's flag-bearer during the Opening Ceremony alongside another Olympic medalist, weightlifter Sara Samir Ahmed.
"I know that I'm under the spotlight now, unlike in Tokyo. But I'm taking positives from that and treating it as extra motivation," he said.
Egyptian Olympic Committee president Yasser Idris said he predicts the country will bring home between 7-11 medals at the July 26-August 11 Games.
Egypt will send 149 athletes to Paris – the North African country's highest contingent at an Olympics – including teams in football and handball.
"We have high expectations of achieving medal success in weightlifting, shooting, modern pentathlon, wrestling, and taekwondo," Idris said.
"We hope the football and handball teams can reach the semi-finals and secure a medal. However, the volleyball team faces a challenging task due to their long absence from the Olympic Games," he added.
