Olympic fencer reveals she was 7 months pregnant while competing

Nada Hafez, of Egypt, took to Instagram to publicly share her pregnancy news.

Olympic fencer reveals she was 7 months pregnant while competing
Carl Recine/Getty Images
July 30, 2024, 11:34 AM

An Egyptian Olympian has revealed she competed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris while seven months pregnant.

Nada Hafez, competing in her third Olympics, shared the news on Instagram Monday, captioning two photos of herself competing with the words, "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!," Hafez wrote, later adding, "This specific Olympics was different; Three times *Olympian* but this time carrying a little Olympian one!"

Nada Hafez of Team Egypt celebrates her victory against Elizabeth Tartakovsky of Team United States in the Fencing Women's Sabre Individual Table of 32 on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Grand Palais on July 29, 2024 in Paris.
Carl Recine/Getty Images

Hafez reached the round of 16 by defeating American Elizabeth Tartakovsky in women's saber Monday, before falling to Jeon Hayoung of South Korea.

Hafez shared her pregnancy news publicly following her loss, writing in her Instagram post, "My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional."

PHOTO: Nada Hafez of Team Egypt applauds fans after her victory against Elizabeth Tartakovsky of Team United States in the Fencing Women's Sabre Individual Table of 32 on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Grand Palais on July 29, 2024 in Paris.
Nada Hafez of Team Egypt applauds fans after her victory against Elizabeth Tartakovsky of Team United States (not pictured) in the Fencing Women's Sabre Individual Table of 32 on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Grand Palais on July 29, 2024 in Paris.
Al Bello/Getty Images

"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 continued. "I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!"

Hafez also thanked her husband, whom she wed in 2023, and her family for sharing their "trust" with her.

In addition to the Paris Olympics, Hafez also competed in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Egypt's Nada Hafez competes with United States' Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the women's individual Sabre round of 32 competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, July 29, 2024, in Paris.
Andrew Medichini/AP

The Paris Olympics is perhaps the most family friendly Olympics in history thanks to a nursery that gives athlete parents a space to spend time with their children during the Games.

Paris organizers and the International Olympic Committee say their Olympic Village nursery is a first for an Olympic Games, according to The Associated Press.

Related Topics