Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez made headlines (and possibly history) at the 2024 Paris Olympics by revealing she competed while seven months pregnant.
The 26-year-old, participating in her third Olympics, won her first match in the women’s individual sabre competition before being knocked out in the last 16.
Hafez, from Cairo, took to Instagram to share her journey just hours after her elimination.
“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!” she wrote, expressing immense pride in her achievement.
In her opening match, Hafez defeated Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States 15-13. However, she was later bested by South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung with a score of 15-7 at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Reflecting on her experience, Hafez shared the physical and emotional challenges she faced. “My baby and I had our fair share of challenges,” Hafez said.
“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,” she added.
She credited her husband, Ibrahim Ihab, and her family for their unwavering support, which enabled her to compete at such a high level while expecting. “I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband and that of my family to be able to come this far,” she continued.
The Paris Olympics marked Hafez’s third appearance, following her participations in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020. While she had not advanced past the Round of 32 in her previous Olympic endeavors, this time, she made it to the Round of 16.
In response to reactions to her reveal, Hafez posted a story on Instagram stating that she did so to shed light on the strength of Egyptian women.
“To my beloved nation, when I mentioned my pregnancy it was to shed light on the strength perseverance and relentlessness of the Egyptian woman. And by winning against the American champion who’s ranked 7th on the world is a clear victory and demonstration of what an Egyptian athlete, Doctor, and most of all woman can do,” said Hafez.
“I’m not the only athlete to have participated while being pregnant; there have been many other international champions who have played pregnant so long as there are no medical restraints to stop them” continued Hafez.
“l’m so proud of representing Egypt in the Olympics and showing what Egyptian women are capable of!”
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