Egyptian fencer announces pregnancy amid Olympics exit

Elizabeth Tartakovsky (USA) competes against Nada Hafez (EGY) in a women's sabre table of 32 bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Grand Palais. Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Whoa, baby! Egyptian fencer announces pregnancy news amid Olympics exit

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jul 30, 2024 12:24 PM ET

Nada Hafez is roughly two months away from likely one of the happiest, most memorable days of her life.

As she exits the Summer Olympics in Paris, an Egyptian fencer revealed on Monday that she's also preparing for parenthood.

Competing at seven months PREGNANT!

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez made it to the last 16 in women’s individual sabre and then shared her special news on Instagram #Paris2023 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/5dVIJS5XgT
— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 30, 2024

The seventh month of pregnancy typically involves hip and lower back pain, increased fatigue and shortness of breath...

Not competing and winning in the Summer Olympics.

But that's just what Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez is doing — seven months pregnant.https://t.co/iUlh1LpWJM pic.twitter.com/CCDddTB5HX
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 30, 2024

Hafez beat American world No. 10 Elizabeth Tartakovsky, 15-13, in the round of 32 before falling to South Korea's Jeon Hayoung, 15-7.

This isn't Hafez's first Olympics experience, as she competed in sabre at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio and 2020 Summer Games (played in 2021) in Tokyo. The 26-year-old Cairo native finished 36th in 2016 and 29th three years ago but won a silver medal in 2018 at the African Zonal Championship and two bronze in 2014 and 2019.

According to the International Fencing Federation, Hafez entered the Paris event as the world's 29th-ranked sabre and Egypt's top competitor.

Per the federation and reported by Li Cohen of CBS News, Hafez is a previous national gymnastics champion and studied medicine at Cairo University.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

More must-reads: