Paris Olympics: Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez reveals she competed while 7 months pregnant

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PARIS — Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez revealed she competed at the Paris Olympics on Monday while seven months pregnant.

“What for you are two players on the podium, in reality there were three!” Hafez wrote in an Instagram post. “It was me, my competitor and my little baby who had not yet arrived in our world!”

Hafez, 26, won her first-round match in the women’s sabre competition on Monday morning, defeating American Elizabeth Tartakovsky by a score of 15-13. Korea’s Jeon Hayoung eliminated Hafez in the round of 16, beating her 15-7.

Hafez represented Egypt in women’s sabre at both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, but lost in the first round on both occasions. She celebrated her victory over Tartakovsky with two raised fists and two huge roars.

For Hafez, it was important to mention her pregnancy because she wanted to “shed light on the strength, perseverance and tenacity of the Egyptian woman.”

“My baby and I have had to face many challenges, both physically and emotionally,” said Hafez. “Pregnancy is a rollercoaster, but fighting to maintain a balance between life and sport was an exhausting task, but it was worth it.”

One insensitive commenter on Hafez’s Instagram post questioned whether she should have stepped aside and allowed another Egyptian fencer to compete in her place.

“As an amateur, how were you expected to win a medal when you were seven months pregnant?” she wrote. “It’s a beautiful story, of course, but I want Egypt to win.”

The rest of the responses to Hafez’s announcement were universally positive.

Another user wrote: “It’s never easy to balance pregnancy and following your passion, so you should be so proud of yourself regardless of the outcome. You’re setting a great example for this little champion!”