Triumph of the spirit: Heptathlete competes in Olympic trials while being 18 weeks pregnant

By Online Desk

The US Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon, witnessed an extraordinary feat by Lindsay Flach as she competed in the heptathlon while being 18 weeks pregnant. 

This was Flach’s third and possibly final attempt at the Olympics, with her last two heptathlon trials being in 2012 and 2016. She did not qualify on those two occasions, giving the Olympic trials one last shot this year before reportedly quitting the sport to start a family.

In an interview with TODAY Parents, Flach shared how she wanted to “finish her career on her own terms”. 

The heptathlon combines seven track and field events, namely the 100-metre hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-metre sprint, long jump, javelin throw and 800-metre run, making it one of the most physically strenuous events.  

The day Flach competed in the Olympic trials, Eugene recorded a severely high temperature of around 43 degrees Celsius, leading the pregnant athlete to refrain from undertaking multiple rounds of shot put and long jump, and bowing out after running 100m in the 800m race. She finished in the 15th spot.

Flach’s decision to compete for a spot in the Olympics while being 18 weeks pregnant came after her doctor gave her the green signal to work out in moderation and avoid hard falls. “There are so many stories about running while pregnant and working out while pregnant, so I’m glad I could be a piece of proving a woman can do it,” Flach told TODAY Parents.

Flach’s training witnessed her battling heartburn, headaches, nausea and vomiting, often warranting multiple doses of intravenous liquid during the first trimester when not being able to absorb food and liquids left her dehydrated. She shared how 12 weeks of bad vomiting had made her doubt whether she would be able to compete in the trials till even a week before they took place.

“It was hard mentally because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to compete at the level I was capable of 18 weeks ago, but I just wanted to prove what women are capable of,” Flach told Yahoo News. “To end one chapter and begin another on my terms was amazing.”

Her Instagram page bears testimony to her extraordinary feat, in images where she is seen flaunting her baby bump as she posed with a fellow athlete. “Every story has an end but in life every end is a new beginning,” she wrote — a befitting caption to what one could easily call a triumphant departure.