Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has revealed she competed at the Paris Olympics on Monday while seven months pregnant.

The 26-year-old won her first match in the women’s individual sabre competition, but was then knocked out in the last 16.

“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, and my yet-to-come to our world little baby!” Hafez said in a post on Instagram.

Hafez, who is from Cairo and was appearing at her third Olympics, said “pride fills my being” after taking to the piste while expecting.

She beat Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States 15-13 before losing 15-7 to Jeon Hayoung of South Korea at the Grand Palais in the French capital.

“My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical and emotional,” she added.

“The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.

“I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband (Ibrahim Ihab) and that of my family to be able to come this far.”