Azerbaijani archer Yaylagul Ramazanova’s participation at the 2024 Paris Olympics showacased both althleticism and motherhood. Read her full story!
Azerbaijan archer Yaylagul Ramazanova is one of the athletes who defied the odds at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 35-year-old garnered global admiration as she competed while being six-and a half-months pregnant. Yaylagul’s journey has been truly extraordinary. Despite her growing baby bump, she approached each shot with confidence and determination.
In a heartwarming Instagram post, Yaylagul recounted the experience of feeling her baby kick just before shooting a perfect 10. “I felt my baby kick me before I shot this last arrow and then I shot a 10,” read the caption.
Pregnant Archer Yaylagul Ramazanova Makes History at Paris Olympics 2024
Ramazanova is only the second archer in Azerbaijan’s history to compete at the Olympics. The first-ever archer to achieve this milestone was Olga Senyuk at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In Paris, Ramazanova took part in the women’s individual recurve archery event and made headlines by defeating the 28-th ranked Chinese archer, An Qixuan, in the 1/32 elimination round. However, she was later eliminated in the 1/16 round by Germany’s Michelle Kroppen.
Ramazanova also shared her experience as a pregnant Olympian with the Chinese publication Xinhua. “During the training for the Olympics, I didn’t feel uncomfortable with my pregnancy. Instead, I felt that I was not fighting alone, but fighting together with my baby… I will teach my kid archery if he or she is interested in it,” she said.
Ranked 127th, Ramazanova wasn’t the only pregnant athlete at the Paris Olympics this year. Egypt’s 26-year-old fencer Nada Hafez also competed while seven months pregnant. Hafez won her first-round match in the women’s sabre competition, defeating former NCAA Champion Elizabeth Tartakovsky from the USA.
Yaylagul’s story exemplifies the strength of the human spirit and the resilience of women. Her participation in the Olympics while pregnant marks a groundbreaking moment that defies societal norms and inspire many to pursue their dreams despite their circumstances.