By the seventh month of pregnancy, most expectant mothers are likely to prioritise comfort, opting for supportive shoes and relaxed clothing. However, on the third day of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez chose a very different ensemble — an electrically-conductive jacket, sabre, and mesh wire mask — as she stepped onto the piste in the iconic Grand Palais, competing not just for herself but for her unborn child as well.
At 26, Hafez, competing in her third Olympics, won her first match in the women’s individual sabre competition, defeating Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States 15-13. However, her Olympic journey was cut short when she was knocked out in the last 16 by South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung, with a score of 15-7. It was only after her elimination that Hafez revealed she had been competing while seven months pregnant.
“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!” Hafez shared on Instagram.
Olympian’s pride and challenges
Reflecting on her experience, Hafez expressed pride in competing while expecting. “This specific Olympics was different; three times Olympian but this time carrying a little Olympian one!”
Hafez candidly spoke about the challenges she faced during her pregnancy, both physically and emotionally. “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. I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband [Ibrahim Ihab] and that of my family to be able to come this far,” she wrote.
Paris 2024 has become a landmark event for sporting mothers, with more women with children participating in the Olympics and Paralympics than ever before. For the first time, the Olympic village features a nursery, and many countries are celebrating the achievements of all the women on their teams, highlighting their roles as athletes and mothers.
Gender bias in parenting
Helen Glover, the world’s No 1 female rower and a two-time Olympic champion, spoke on the changing attitudes towards mothers competing at the highest level. However, she noted that fathers in Team GB face less scrutiny for their parenting roles compared to their female peers. Glover, who has three children, has been a vocal advocate for balancing parenthood and elite sport since returning from retirement to compete in Paris.
“Many men in Team GB have children, and it’s not spoken about because it doesn’t change anything. And it’s expected that their careers are longer than women’s careers,” Glover told Radio Times.
“But hopefully the biggest thing about these Games is how many women competitors are coming back after having children,” she added.
Glover herself made history when she competed in Tokyo in 2021, becoming the first mother to qualify for the Great Britain rowing team, reaching the Olympic final just 18 months after giving birth to twins. Paris 2024 is set to further the conversation about motherhood in sport, with athletes like Hafez and Glover leading the way.
First Published: Jul 31 2024 | 12:51 PM IS