Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has made headlines at the Paris 2024 Olympics after she revealed that she had been competing while seven months pregnant.
The 26-year-old Olympian not only participated in the women’s individual saber competition but also advanced to the round of 16, securing what she describes as a “double victory.”
Hafez revealed her pregnancy status on Instagram a day after her Olympic performance, writing:
“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, and my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!”
View this post on Instagram
Hafez acknowledged the challenges she has conquered on the road to the Olympic games as she balanced the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy with the rigors of preparing for Olympic-level competition.
“The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it,” wrote Hafez.
In the first round, Hafez defeated Elizabeth Tartakovsky, a former NCAA champion from Team USA. Although she was later eliminated by South Korea’s Hayoung Jeon, her achievement remains extraordinary.
This isn’t Hafez’s first Olympic appearance, having competed in Rio and Tokyo. However, as she noted, Paris 2024 was her first Olympics “carrying a little Olympian one!”
Her accomplishment adds to a growing list of pregnant athletes excelling in high-level competitions, including Serena Williams, who won the 2017 Australian Open while expecting.
ALSO SEE:
Olympic flag bearer loses wedding ring in Seine, pens poetic apology letter to wife
