Jennifer Gates Is 'Proud as Ever' of Husband, Equestrian Nayel Nassar, After He Withdraws from Olympics Due to His Horse

Nassar announced he has withdrawn from the Games due to a "minor injury" to his horse

Jennifer Gates is "just as proud as ever" of her husband Nayel Nassar after an injury to his horse forced the equestrian to withdraw from the 2024 Paris Games.

"It is with a heavy heart that I announce our withdrawal from the 2024 Olympic Games," Nassar, 33, announced in a lengthy post on Instagram.

Nassar, a member of Team Egypt, said his horse, Coronado, "unfortunately sustained a minor injury" that forced them to "end our Olympic journey here."

Gates shared her husband's post on Instagram Stories and wrote, "The horse’s welfare always comes first. A huge disappointment to not be able to compete but I am still just as proud as ever of @NayelNasser and @Evergatestables."

Gates offered "good luck" to the remaining competitors and said she and Nassar will be "cheering you on" during the competition.

Related: Bill Gates Celebrates Daughter Jennifer’s Husband Nayel Nassar’s 33rd Birthday

Nassar called the setback "gutting" and explained that the decision was made "after thorough discussions with our veterinary team and the Egyptian Federation" that resulted in all parties agreeing "that it is our duty to prioritize Coronado’s long-term health and recovery."

"As per the rules, no substitutions are allowed after the first horse inspection is completed, which leaves us no option but to withdraw entirely," Nassar wrote.

Nassar previously helped Egypt earn their spot in the Tokyo Olympics, marking the first time in 61 years that Egypt's equestrian team qualified for the Games.

While Nassar didn't win a medal, he received a pair of sweet shout-outs on Instagram from his then-future in-laws Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.

Before competing himself, Nassar was in the crowd for the women's all-around gymnastics final, attending alongside his wife as well as Bill and his girlfriend Paula Hurd.

The equestrian got started with the sport at age 5 and was jumping by age 10, PEOPLE previously reported. Since then, he has gone on to qualify for the FEI World Cup Finals in 2013, 2014 and 2017, plus the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2014.

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Nassar competes on the international circuit as part of the team at Evergate Stables, a show jumping establishment founded by his wife, who also shares a deep love of horses and is a decorated equestrian herself.

The athlete's trip to the Olympics comes more than a month after Jennifer announced the couple are expecting their second baby.

Jennifer, who also recently graduated medical school, shared the news on June 27 on Instagram, alongside a photo that showed her cradling her baby bump while holding hands with daughter Leila, 16 months.

"Leila, being promoted to big sister 💕," she captioned the photo.

Related: Bill and Melinda Gates' Daughter Jennifer Shares First Photos from Wedding to Nayel Nassar

Although their baby girl ready to get in the saddle just yet, her parents are already passing on their love for all things equestrian.

In March, Jennifer shared an adorable photo giving Leila a look at a riding area at an equestrian event.

“Leila checking out the itty bitty jumper division today,” Jennifer sweetly captioned the snapshot.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympics newsletter, to get the biggest stories from the Games delivered straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.

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