Nayel Nassar and Jennifer Gates, eldest daughter of Bill and Melinda French Gates. (Instagram photo via @nayelnassar)
Melinda French Gates is paying special attention to the Tokyo Olympics this week as her future son-in-law represents Eqypt in equestrian sports.
French Gates tweeted Tuesday about Nayel Nassar, the fiancée of her and Bill Gates’ eldest daughter, Jennifer Gates. French Gates said she was proud of the professional show jumper … and his horse, Igor.
I always love to watch the Olympics. The #TokyoOlympics are special because I get to cheer on my future son-in-law! We are so proud of you, Nayel (and Igor)! pic.twitter.com/tiGz5OMtnH
– Melinda French Gates (@melindagates) August 3, 2021
Nassar, 30, started this week in the final of the individual competitions and finished 24. Ben Maher from Great Britain won the gold medal. On Instagram, Nassar said it was “not our day” but was happy with how comfortable he and Igor felt on “the greatest stretch of our lives”. He will compete in the team competition at the end of this week.
It is the first time in 61 years that the equestrian team from Eqypt has qualified for the Olympic Games.
Born in Chicago in 1991, Nassar’s website biography says he was raised in Kuwait by Egyptian parents. He started riding at the age of five and was successful in international competitions.
In 2013 he graduated from Stanford University with a degree in economics.
Gates, 25, graduated from Stanford with a degree in human biology in 2018 and is now studying medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine on Mount Sinai.
Gates and Nassar got engaged during a ski vacation in January 2020, and their Instagram is full of pictures of the couple and their mutual love for horses.
Gates is also a rider and founder of Evergate Stables, an international show jumping stable based in Florida. Nassar drives for Evergate’s team.