Paris Olympics: Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez competes while seven months pregnant

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez, who participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics, has revealed she was seven months pregnant while competing in the Games.

In a social media post, Hafez revealed on Monday that she was "carrying a little Olympian" as she competed in the women’s sabre event, which saw her advance to the round of 16.

The 26-year-old Egyptian won her opening match against American seventh seed and world number 10 Elizabeth Tartakovsky on Monday, but lost to her South Korean counterpart Jeon Ha-young later in the day.

"What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually there! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!", the fencer wrote on Instagram.

"My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical and emotional," she wrote. "The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own and having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it," she added.

Hafez said "pride fills my being" after taking to the fencing piste in the world’s biggest sporting competition, while expecting her child.

The Egyptian fencer thanked her loved ones for their support in the process: "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. This specific Olympics was different; three times Olympian but this time carrying a little Olympian one!", she said.

Hafez entered the competition as the 29th ranked sabre in the world, and the 26th seed. The fencer has competed for Egypt in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, hosted in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, respectively.

In addition to her fencing career, Hafez is also a former Egyptian national champion in gymnastics. She has obtained a medical degree from Cairo University, and is a qualified clinical pathologist.

This year’s Olympic Games have a record-number of mothers competing. For the first time ever, the Olympic village will feature a nursery, accommodating athletes with children. Additionally, the French Sports Committee vowed to make hotel rooms available for French athletes who are breastfeeding, as part of a set of measures to create a more parent-friendly Olympics.