An Egyptian fencing Olympian who managed to reach the final 16 has revealed that she was “carrying a little Olympian” when competing while seven months pregnant.
Nada Hafez, 26, had won her first round of the women’s individual sabre before being knocked out by Jeon Hayoung of the Republic of Korea. However, she then made the startling admission that she was seven months pregnant.
In a post on Instagram, she said “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!”.
“My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it”, she continued.
“I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!”.
She also thanked her husband and added “This specific Olympics was different; Three times *Olympian* but this time carrying a little Olympian one!”.
Although unusual, Hafez was not the only pregnant athlete during the Paris Olympic Games. Azerbaijan archer Yaylagul Ramazanova was six and a half months pregnant when she reached the final sixteen. According to reports, when she faced her Chinese opponent An Qixuan last week, the final result of the shoot-off was determined by a single arrow each, with Ramazanova winning by 10 to An’s 9.
Ramazanova said “I felt my baby kick me before I shot this last arrow, and then I shot a 10”
“During the training for the Olympics, I didn’t feel uncomfortable with my pregnancy. Instead, I felt that I was not fighting alone, but fighting together with my baby”.
Olympic Village nursery
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 appears to have made an effort to better accommodate athletes with young children. According to the website for the Olympic Games, “[t]he Olympic Games Paris 2024 hopes to ease the challenges that athlete parents face worldwide by featuring an on-site nursery, the first of its kind, aimed at providing an opportunity to spend more quality time with their children during the Olympics”.
“This Olympic Village nursery, spearheaded by the American track star Allyson Felix, will support supermums like Clarisse Agbegnenou, Naomi Osaka and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in balancing their podium dreams with parenthood as they tackle the tatami, court and track”.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “It’s amazing that these two women were able to compete at the most elite level while so heavily pregnant. It’s also encouraging that the Olympic Games is making an effort to accommodate athletes with children”.
