Cristiano Ronaldo, although not competing in the 2024 Olympics, was pleasantly surprised to receive recognition from Portuguese athletes during the event. On August 10, cyclists Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira made history by winning the gold medal in track cycling at the Paris Olympic Games. This remarkable achievement not only marked Portugal’s first gold medal of these Games but also the country’s first gold medal outside of athletics in Olympic history
Portugal won a gold medal in the track cycling 🥇
There was only one way to celebrate 🥳#Paris2024 #Olympics #BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/LQPvONfM0d
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 10, 2024
After the historic win, Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira drew attention when they celebrated on the podium with Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “Siu” gesture. Rui Oliveira shared a photo of the celebration on his X account (formerly Twitter) and encouraged fans to spread the word as a way of paying tribute to their idol.
Ronaldo’s reaction was not long in coming. The Al Nassr star commented on Rui Oliveira’s post: “Congratulations, Rui,” showing his support for his countrymen. Ronaldo also took to Instagram to congratulate the Portuguese cycling team. “Very proud of these champions. Congratulations, Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira,” he wrote in a post to his 636 million followers.
This year, several athletes at the Olympics celebrated their victories in Ronaldo style. In the 20km race walk, Ecuadorian Brian Pintado also made the “Siu” gesture after crossing the finish line and winning the gold medal.
