An athlete at the Olympics has revealed that she was competing while seven months pregnant, and she did rather well in Paris all things considered.
Egyptian fencing star Nada Hafez revealed in an Instagram post following her victory over American fencer Elizabeth Tartakovsky that she had a baby on the way.
It's certainly not the first time an athlete has competed in a major sporting event while pregnant, Serena Williams famously won the Australian Open while she was expecting.
Still, it's quite something to get into a sword fight while seven months pregnant as Hafez did at Paris 2024, and since Hafez fights sabre we're talking a fight with a proper sword and not the piddly little stick that is foil or the uncultured metal pole of epee.
Advert
In the end Hafez would go out at the round of 16 in the Women's Sabre Individual against South Korean sabreur Jeon Hayoung, while in the end the gold medal was won by France's Manon Apithy-Brunet as she defeated countrywoman Sara Balzer in the final.
Revealing the news that she was expecting to everyone in a post on Instagram, she wrote: "7 MONTHS PREGNANT OLYMPIAN !
"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.
Advert
"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.
"I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!
"I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband @ibrahimihab11 and that of my family to be able to come this far.
"This specific Olympics was different; Three times *Olympian* but this time carrying a little Olympian one!"
Naturally there were many congratulations coming her way, as well as people asking if she was allowed to do that.
Advert
"Is it not cheating to fence two against one?" someone asked, and I can tell you dear reader that it would indeed be cheating to do so.
However, since Hafez's little one has not yet been born and cannot hold a sword it's pretty safe to say they played no meaningful part in the bout and you can't really say she gained an advantage.
For those worried about the impact a combat sport would have on a woman who was seven months pregnant, rest assured that fencing involves plenty of protective equipment that an athlete can don to take away the worst of the impacts involved with being struck with a sword.
No fencer would begin a bout without wearing layers of protective clothing, and stronger protection can be worn under them should the competitor desire.
Advert
Others reacting to the Instagram post said the sabreur 'should be super proud of yourself' and lots more joked that it'd be one hell of a story to tell the baby that they were involved in the Olympics before even being born.
Give it 20 years and perhaps we'll see Hafez Jr donning the metal mask and trying to win Olympic medals with a sword.
Team GB's current medal count - 12
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
- Nathan Hales: Shooting - Men's trap
- Tom Dean, Kieran Bird, James Guy, Jack McMillan, Matthew Richards, Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 4x200m freestyle
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
Joe Harker