In a surprising plot twist, an Egyptian fencer revealed that she competed in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris while seven months pregnant. This is Nada Hafez, who shocked the world of fencing and sports in general while everyone had their eyes on the Olympic event.
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Several years ago, Serena Williams surprised the world by achieving her 23rd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open while she was in the early stages of pregnancy. Now, Hafez echoes that 'feat', demonstrating his incredible level of dedication and discipline.
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What did the fencer from Egypt who revealed she was pregnant while competing in Paris 2024 say?
Hafez posted a photo on his Instagram account of his participation in the Games with a text that would impact everyone: "What appears to be two players on the podium, were actually three! It was me, my competitor, and my little baby still to arrive in our world!", he wrote on his social media.
The 26-year-old fencer had stood out by defeating American Elizabeth Tartakovsky in her first round of the women's saber competition by 15-13. However, in the round of 16, she fell to Korean Jeon Hayoung by a resounding 15-7, leaving Hafez eliminated from the competition.
Hafez also took the opportunity to make it clear that her participation in her third Olympic Games was an attempt to show her perseverance and the challenge of competing while in an advanced pregnancy: "My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, both physical and emotional."
The Egyptian had already represented her country in the women's saber discipline at both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic. After losing in the initial round in her first two performances, she achieved her first Olympic victory in Paris and celebrated it enthusiastically.
"The roller coaster of pregnancy is tough enough as it is, but having to struggle to maintain balance between life and sports was exhausting, although it was worth it. I write this post to say that pride fills my being for having achieved my pass to the round of 16," she explained.
“I am lucky to have had the trust of my husband and my family to be able to go this far,” she added in relation to the support her partner gave her throughout the process leading up to competing in a new Olympic edition.