A heartfelt Instagram post published by Hefny – himself an Olympian at London 2012 – highlighted the bond between coach and protégé.
“He lost the qualification by a few seconds, and he was very emotional,” Hefny says of the moment Mohamed finished fourth.
“I wrote this post because Moutaz is one of those people who is very good, inside and out. He always tries to help others – even if it affects what’s best for him, he does it with love.
“But just watch him in the competition and you will recognise the difference. He’s fierce in the competition, very aggressive, but without being disrespectful.”
Mohamed’s strongest event is the Laser Run but it’s in the nature of the sport to be able to handle anything – especially the new Obstacle race.
“We now have one hour and a half to do all the five disciplines, so it’s a good thing that you can adapt as a modern pentathlete,” he says.
“I really liked the equestrian, riding the horse, feeding it…it’s a different vibe. But maybe changing to Obstacle is a good thing. It’s attracted a lot of the younger generation. When we did it in Egypt there were big crowds to come and watch it.”
From the evidence so far, that momentum should continue all the way up to Los Angeles 2028 – for both Mohamed and his sport.