The History of Pregnant Olympic Athletes

Aside from the opening ceremony, the Paris 2024 Olympics have been a dazzling array of the world’s finest athletes battling for the cherished gold, silver, and bronze. Those who participate will forever be called Olympians.  

The only way this could be better is to put babies into the mix.  

You may be surprised to learn that over the history of the Olympics babies have played a quiet but present role . . . inside their mothers’ wombs. 

The 2024 Olympics have included at least two pregnant Olympic athletes and their unborn babies. 

Yaylagul Ramazanova competed in women’s archery while six-and-a-half months pregnant. She said, “I felt my baby kick me before I shot this last arrow, and then I shot a 10.” (What we’d call a bull’s-eye.) “I felt that I was not fighting alone but fighting together with my baby.” 

Some might kiddingly say that Nada Hafez from Egypt was a bigger target for her opponents in fencing. She competed while seven months pregnant! 

History is rife with pregnant Olympic athletes, and we shouldn’t be surprised. Women do a yeoman’s job of nurturing and then bringing into the air-breathing world their children – some many times over. Thankfully there are those who’ve assembled impressive lists of pregnant Olympians. Here are a few notables.   

During the 1920 Olympics figure skater Magda Julin from Sweden took home gold while 4 months pregnant. 

American Juno Stover-Irwin received a bronze medal in platform diving during the 1952 Olympics while 3½ months pregnant with her second child. Platform diving!  

Nur Suryani Binti Mohamed Taibi from Malaysa was nearly full term (34 weeks) when she competed in rifle shooting during the 2012 Olympics.   

Theodora Elisabeth Gerarda “Anky”•van Grunsven and her 5-month unborn child competed on behalf of the Netherlands in the 2004 Olympics, and both won equestrian gold. Mom went on to win another gold, as well as other medals in subsequent Olympics on her own. 

Elizabeth Zaragoza ran the 5,000 meters race in the 2004 Olympics and learned she was pregnant while there. Turns out they had been trying to conceive for four years. Several Olympians were later surprised to find out they were pregnant after competing.  

Martina Valcepina of Italy competed in Short Track Speed Skating while 1 month pregnant with twins. She took bronze in the 3,000 meters Relay race.  

Now here’s an underachiever. Cornelia Pfohl from Germany won two medals in archery, silver in 1996 and then bronze in 2000 while early in her pregnancy. Pfohl competed in the 2004 Olympics while 7 months pregnant, giving birth just 57 days after what would be her last Olympic event.   

Hockey is considered a man’s game by many. Not only did Lisa Brown-Miller and her teammates prove them wrong, but they also brought home the gold at the 1998 Olympics while she was 8 weeks pregnant.

Many athletes face down danger by competing in the Winter Olympics. Diana Sartor of Germany was one of them.  She flew face down in skeleton competition at break-neck speeds while 9 weeks pregnant during the 2006 Winter games. 

Paralympic Athletes 

Paralympic athletes have also competed against the world’s finest athletes with a baby on board.  

American Lora Webster, a sitting volleyball player has competed in two Paralympic games while pregnant.

She took home silver in 2012 while 5 months pregnant and expecting child number 3. She attained the coveted gold at the 2020 Paralympic games while also 5 months pregnant and expecting her fourth child. 

Jodie Grinham will be 28 weeks pregnant at the time of the games. She hopes her participation on the British Archery team can send a powerful message to women that pregnancy while competing against elite level athletes can be done. 

The Olympic and Paralympic games grab the attention of people around the world. When they see pregnant Olympic athletes it sends a clear message that unborn children are part and parcel of life.  

If women see athletes competing against the best of the best while pregnant, they may be encouraged to face the struggles before them while choosing motherhood. 

Impressed by Motherhood,   

Brad Mattes,

President, Life Issues Institute