Paris 2024: Lionel Messi Sends a Message to Argentina’s First Olympic Gold Medalist

• Argentina claimed its first medal in the Cycling BMX Racing category at the ongoing Paris Olympic Games
• 29-year-old Jose Torres Gil clinched the Gold medal ahead of Britain’s Kieran Reilly and France's Anthony JeanJean
• Lionel Messi sent a heartwarming message to the freestyle cyclist following his medal triumph at the Paris event

Argentina finally got its name on the Paris Olympics medal table after José Torres Gil claimed gold in the freestyle BMX cycling category.

The 29-year-old, who wasn’t considered a favourite going into the finals, defied the odds to claim the top spot. Torres Gil outperformed Britain’s Kieran Reilly and France’s Anthony Jean-Jean to secure the gold.

According to an AP report, Torres Gil began his performance with a spectacular 720-degree spin, followed by another 720 later in his run.

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Despite a near-miss towards the end, he scored 94.82 points, a score no other competitor could surpass, securing him the gold medal.

The BMX cyclist, visibly thrilled by being the first Argentine to win a medal at the Paris Games, has received a wave of congratulations. Among the many messages, one standout came from Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, who took to social media to praise Torres Gil's remarkable achievement.

Messi congratulates Argentina’s Gold medalist

The 37-year-old took to Instagram to congratulate his countryman with a message that translates to:

“Congratulations, enjoy that gold to the fullest.”

Argentina will be aiming for gold in other categories as well, including football, where they have secured the top prize twice in the past 20 years.

La Albiceleste’s U23 men’s team is set to face off against France for a spot in the semi-finals of the Olympic football tournament.

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Messi picks 2024 Ballon d'Or contenders

Earlier, YEN.com.gh disclosed that Messi named Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe among the frontrunners for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award but has excluded Jude Bellingham from the race.

The England midfielder, who had a stellar debut season with Real Madrid, is expected to provide stiff competition to whoever is in the running for the prize.

The Ballon d’Or, which both Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi have largely dominated over the last decade, saw the Argentina captain add another to his record-extending accolade following his triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Source: TUKO.co.ke