Pregnant athlete breaks gender barriers at Paris 2024 Olympics

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez revealed she was seven months pregnant while competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women's individual sabre event. Hafez defeated American Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the first round. She then lost to South Korean Jeon Ha-young and finished 16th overall. This was Hafez's third time competing at the Olympics.

A day later, Azerbaijani archer Yaylagul Ramazanova also confirmed she was six months pregnant while competing at the Olympics.

Athletes competing at different stages of pregnancy have changed the concept of what women can do while pregnant.

In 2017, Alysia Montano competed at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships while she was eight months pregnant. In 2012, Malaysian Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi competed in the London Olympics in shooting while she was eight months pregnant.

The Paris Olympics also saw a number of successes for female athletes who have become mothers. Two mothers, New Zealand rowers Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis, won gold medals in the double oar double, showing that athletes can return to sport and achieve success after motherhood.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that pregnant women spend 150 minutes/week on moderate-intensity physical activity. Physical activity during pregnancy can bring many health benefits to both mother and fetus, such as reducing the risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, postpartum depression, etc.

In 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) convened international experts and published recommendations on training for pregnant athletes.

Olympic athletes have previously spoken about the difficult decisions they make when it comes to pregnancy. For example, some face social pressure to choose between becoming mothers or continuing to focus on training and competing, something male athletes never have to worry about. Female athletes have also said they worry about discrimination, or the safety of training while pregnant.

CNA (Singapore) news agency assessed that with appropriate support and specific guidance based on research and improved sports policies, female athletes can still train during pregnancy and achieve good results after giving birth. This will contribute to promoting sustainability in sports.