7-month pregnant archer wins gold medal at 2024 Paralympics Games

A seven-month pregnant British athlete Jodie Grinham has made history by winning the gold medal in the mixed team archery event at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. 

Grinham, who is already the first pregnant woman to win a Paralympic medal with a bronze in singles, has now achieved the remarkable feat of securing gold alongside fellow athlete Nathan Macqueen from Scotland.

The duo defeated the Iranian pair Fatemeh Hemmati and Hadi Nori in the final, marking a triumphant moment for Grinham, who was determined to succeed despite her pregnancy. 

"All I wanted to do at the end was jump up and down and cry and scream and shout,” she told BBC after clinching gold.

"But being heavily pregnant, realistically the best thing to do was crouch down and take a second and then I could give hugs and things,” the Paralympic archer continued. 

"The emotion was just a wave and it was like being a child at Christmas and getting your favorite toy."

The 31-year-old athlete further said that said she wanted to participate in the Summer Games to give an "inspiring message to other women around the world".

"The idea was to show that nothing is impossible and to go out there and smash it," Grinham added.

Earlier, Egyptian fencer, Nada Hafez, competed at the Paris Olympics 2024 while seven months pregnant.

The athlete won her first women's individual sabre competition, however, she was eliminated in the last 16 to a South Korean player.