Pregnant Olympian archer Yaylagul Ramazanova received a sign from her unborn child before her surprising win. At six-and-a-half months pregnant, the 34-year-old athlete competed against Chinese archer An Qixuan at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Right before shooting a perfect 10, which is the highest score for a single arrow and just what she needed to defeat her opponent, Yaylagul says something happened with her unborn baby, who may have acted as her good luck charm.
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Here's the sign her baby gave her.
“I felt my baby kick me before I shot this last arrow, and then I shot a 10,” the mom-to-be, who is from Azerbaijan, told Xinhua News on August 5, 2024. She added that her unborn child gave her strength and luck. Yaylagul and An shot a 5-5 tie, which led to a shoot-off to determine the winner. An shot a 9, leaving Yaylagul as the winner.
Yaylagul wasn't afraid to compete while pregnant.
“I didn’t feel uncomfortable with my pregnancy,” the archer said. “Instead, I felt that I was not fighting alone, but fighting together with my baby.” While training for the summer games, she recognized her unborn child as an extension of herself.
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She's a first-time Olympian.
Yaylagul also the second archer to compete in the Olympics who has represented Azerbaijan. Olqa Senyuk was the first and competed at Rio in 2016. She was later eliminated in the 1/16 round by Michelle Kroppen from Germany, but her success is still being recognized by many.
Yaylagul has inspired a lot of people.
Yaylagul has left a mark on so many people. " I don't know how you found the strength to compete while you are heavily pregnant; but a big CONGRATULATIONS to you…Yaylagul, YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION!" one person wrote.
"You wrote history for us, you are remembered as a selfless lady all over the world, we are proud of you, you are our pride ❤️ ," another person commented.
She's not the only pregnant person who competed in the Olympics this year.
Along with Yaylagul, Egyptian fencer Nada Haze also competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant. "Passionate women are the strongest creatures on earth," one person said, while another one added, "Wow women are powerful."
Yes, indeed, they are!
