Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez competes in Olympics while seven months pregnant

Fencer Nada Hafez of Egypt disclosed that she competed in the Olympics in Paris when seven months pregnant. The 26-year-old won her maiden solo sabre competition match despite being pregnant. Hafez gave her husband and family a lot of credit for her competitiveness.

At the Grand Palais in Paris, Hafez defeated Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States 15–13, but fell short against Jeon Hayoung of South Korea 15–7. She also participated in the Rio Olympics in 2016 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Hafez posted on Instagram that she was "carrying a little Olympian one" hours after she had reached the round of 16 in women's saber Monday. "My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional," Hafez wrote. "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. I'm writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!"


Hafez, a three-time Olympian and former gymnast with a degree in medicine, took home gold in the individual and team saber competitions at the 2019 African Games. Her official finishing position on Monday was 16th, which was her highest finish in any of her three Olympic games.