Nada Hafez, the 26-year-old fencer from Egypt, has revealed that she is seven months pregnant while participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Hafez competed in her first event at the Olympics on Monday in the women’s individual sabre competition, winning 15-13 against Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States.

However, she was knocked out of the competition after losing 15-7 to Jeon Hayoung of South Korea at the Grand Palais in the French capital.

The Egyptian athlete shared the news of her pregnancy on her Instagram page, stating:

“What appears to you as two players on the podium were actually three! It was me, my competitor, and my yet-to-come-to-our-world little baby!” Hafez wrote in her post.

“Pride fills my being” after taking to the piste while expecting.

“My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, both physical and emotional,” she added. “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, but worth it. I’m lucky to have the trust of my husband, Ibrahim Ihab, and that of my family to have come this far.”

Hafez’s revelation came just a couple of hours before Tatjana Smith won Africa’s first gold medal of the Paris 2024 Games.

The South African triumphed in the women’s 100m breaststroke. The 27-year-old qualified fastest for the final, and a strong second length saw her win the third Olympic medal of her career in a time of one minute and 5.28 seconds at La Defense Arena.

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