Elgendy’s mental strength insights for Mo Salah
The blue banner that Elgendy raised after completing the laser run on 10 August is now kept in his home in Egypt. It features the words ‘Paris 2024’ next to the Olympic rings and became a popular photo backdrop when he hosted a party at his home five days after returning from the French capital.
This was just one of many celebrations that the Olympic champion was swept up in from the moment he landed in Cairo International Airport.
When Elgendy’s final was broadcast on television, thousands of people in the country tuned in to see if this could be their golden moment.
“People now knew that I’m competing, so they were all watching it,” the athlete said. “They saw what I’m doing, so they felt the win, they felt the achievement here.”
Ultimately, it turned into a double celebration as Elgendy and weightlifter Sara Ahmed won gold and silver medals, respectively, within hours of each other.
“There were many people in the airport when we got back, fireworks, many interviews, many things we did,” Elgendy said. “Actually after, now you are a celebrity in Egypt, so you have to deal with it but it’s a good thing.”
Elgendy’s achievement also got the attention of another sporting hero in Egypt – Mo Salah. The Liverpool striker first reached out to Elgendy in 2018, calling on the phone to congratulate him for the double victory at the Youth Olympic Games. He also congratulated him after Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
The two met in person several times, including six months before Paris 2024. Mindset was the topic of conversation with Salah especially curious how Elgendy mentally prepares to compete in the five diverse sports that make up modern pentathlon: swimming, equestrian, shooting, fencing and running.
“When he asked me about how you prepare mentally for the competition, I knew that it’s the most important thing because it’s the first thing that he asked me,” Elgendy said.
“The main thing that he’s concentrating on is the mindset, how you work mentally, not only physically, because all people are training hard. All people do well in training, but the difference is their mindset. That’s what he told me, so I knew that it’s very important and I worked on it very hard.”