Olympic fencer Nada Hafez has taken the sports world by storm with her recent revelation: she was seven months pregnant when she advanced to the last 16 in the women’s fencing competition in Paris. The Egyptian athlete’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary, defeating Team USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky, a Harvard alumna and World Championships bronze medalist, with a score of 15-13 at the Grand Palais on Monday.
Defying the odds
Despite being in the advanced stages of pregnancy, Hafez managed to secure a victory against the formidable Tartakovsky. Following her impressive win, Hafez shared her emotional journey on Instagram. “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three,” she wrote. “It was me, my competitor, and my yet-to-come-to-our-world little baby! My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical and emotional. 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, however worth it.”
Hafez expressed immense pride in her achievements, saying, “I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16! I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband and that of my family to be able to come this far. This specific Olympics was different; three times Olympian but this time carrying a little Olympian one!”
Hafez’s quest for Olympic glory was eventually halted by South Korea’s Jeon Ha-young in the round of 16. Since her Olympic debut in Rio as a teenager, Hafez has been a consistent presence at the Games, including the 2016 competition in Tokyo.
In other notable events, Tatjana Smith’s spectacular triumph in swimming added to South Africa’s day of victories, marking another significant achievement for African athletes on the world stage.