Pregnant Olympic Archer Got Special Nudge From Her Baby Before Surprise Win
By Movieguide® Contributor
Azerbaijan archer Yaylagul Ramazanova received a special message from her baby before she made a perfect score in the Paris Olympic Games.
“I felt my baby kick me before I shot this last arrow, and then I shot a 10,” Ramazanova said.
A 10 is the highest score achievable from a single arrow, and it’s what she needed to defeat her opponent, China’s An Qixuan.
Ramazanova, who is six and a half months pregnant, felt comforted knowing that her baby was with her during her training.
“I didn’t feel uncomfortable with my pregnancy,” Ramazanova said “Instead, I felt that I was not fighting alone, but fighting together with my baby.”
Ramazanova got eliminated in the next round, but she inspired many who saw her perform.
“I think it’s awesome that we see more expecting mothers shooting in the Olympic Games and it’s great to have one in the sport of archery,” said USA’s Casey Kaufhold, the No 1. archer in the world. “She shot really well, and I think it’s really cool because my coach is also a mother and she’s been doing so much to support her kids even while she’s away.”
She added, “I think it’s awesome for this archer that one day, she can tell her kid, ‘Hey, I went to the Olympic Games and you were there, too.'”
Ramazanova is Azerbaijan’s second archer ever to attend the Games.
Egyptian fencer Nada Haze also achieved Olympic victory this year while seven months pregnant.
“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three!” the 26-year-old wrote July 30. She continued:
“It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!
My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.
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 @ibrahimihab11 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! ❤️
Movieguide® reported on another Olympic mom, South Korea’s Kim Yeji:
“While her popularity has skyrocketed this Olympic Games, a recently unearthed clip of her performance during the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Azerbaijan this past May was what initially kicked off her viral fame,” NBC News reported July 31. “In it, Kim is sporting a backward cap, sharp bob, glasses and signature stone cold glare. After the event, during which she broke the world record in the women’s 25m pistol, she told reporters that there was ‘nothing to improve’ before Paris”…
Throughout her Olympic 10-meter air pistol competition on Sunday, Kim kept her daughter’s toy elephant by her side as she shot her pistol.
The “touching gesture” earned “her even more fans online,” The Guardian reported.
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