'Carrying little Olympian': Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez competes while pregnant
In a surprising disclosure, Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez revealed that she competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant. The 26-year-old athlete from Cairo shared this news on Instagram after advancing to the round of 16 in the women's saber event. A three-time Olympian, Hafez defeated former NCAA champion Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States before succumbing to South Korea's Jeon Hayoung.
Hafez celebrated first Olympic win and pregnancy
Hafez's victory over Tartakovsky marked her first win at an Olympic event. She took to Instagram to express her pride not only for her performance but also for competing while expecting. "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!" Hafez wrote in the post.
Hafez acknowledges challenges of balancing pregnancy and sports
Hafez openly acknowledged the difficulties she faced while balancing her pregnancy with her sports career. "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," she said. Despite these challenges, Hafez achieved her best result in any of her three Olympic appearances by officially ranking 16th.
Hafez's illustrious career in fencing
Hafez joined the Egyptian National Senior Women's Saber Fencing Team in 2014 and earned her first victory at the Egyptian Senior Women's Saber National Republic Competition a year later. She qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics through the African zonal qualification in Algeria and secured a spot again in 2021. Over her career, Hafez has won a silver medal at the 2018 African Zonal Championship, bronze medals in 2014 and 2019, and a bronze medal at the Belgium Tournoi satellite.
Hafez's gold medals and gratitude for family support
In addition to her fencing career, Hafez, a former gymnast with a degree in medicine, won gold medals in the individual and team saber events at the 2019 African Games. She revealed her pregnancy to "shed light on the strength, perseverance of the Egyptian woman." Expressing gratitude for her family's support, she said, "I'm lucky to have shared the trust of my husband and that of my family to be able to come this far."
