More Olympians Are Competing Pregnant

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez competed in the Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant. A day after Hafez revealed this on Instagram, Azberbaijani archer Yaylagul Ramazanova also admitted that she was expecting. A general uptick in pregnant elite athletes resulted in the IOC publishing recommendations for training during pregnancy in 2016. Guidelines suggest that women can safely continue regular aerobic activity while monitoring for symptoms. However, more research is needed. Unfortunately, many women struggle with the societal pressure to choose between being a mother or being an athlete, a dilemma male athletes usually do not face. (Study Finds)