Suryani sure to achieve record at Olympics

NEW YORK: Eight-month pregnant national shooter Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi will definitely achieve a record of sorts at the Olympics in London, regardless of whether she wins a medal in the 10m air-rifle event.

Because of the advanced state of her pregnancy, Nur Suryani, 29, has appeared in The New York Times (NYT), New York Daily News, The Columbus Dispatch, San Francisco Chronicle and many blogs.

The New York Daily News portrayed her as the “furthest along for any mum-to-be competing in the celebrated sporting event”. Her boleh or can-do spirit has made her many fans around the world.

She told NYT: “For me, nothing is impossible. It’s one of many challenges. If I abandoned it, who knows? It’ll be another four years (before I get the chance to compete again). Maybe I won’t have the opportunity.” Nur Suryani’s pregnancy prompted the American media to speculate on how many pregnant women had participated in the Olympics. The issue is not made easy as the International Olympic Committee does not maintain records on it.

However, said NYT, there had been at least three other pregnant women who had competed in the games, even though these were in the winter Olympics.

The last case was that of Canadian curling champion Kristie Moore, who competed in Vancouver in 2010 despite being 51/2 months pregnant. She won the silver medal.

There have been cases of pregnant women participating in competitions outside the Olympics.

Amber Miller, 27, completed the Chicago Marathon last year in her 39th week of pregnancy. She gave birth to a baby girl a few hours later.

Nur Suryani, according to reports in the US media, wanted to give birth in the right way.

She had tried to "pacify the baby inside her" by saying "soothing words" to it, said one report. She is ranked 47th in the world and even improved her shooting skills as she continued to train. Her doctor also gave her the green light to travel abroad.

In the NYT interview, she said she knew what she would tell her child when it was older: "You are very lucky. You're not even born yet and you already went to the Olympics." Bernama

Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi has tried to ‘pacify her baby’

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Suryani sure to achieve record at Olympics

NEW YORK: Eight-month pregnant national shooter Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi will definitely achieve a record of sorts at the Olympics in London, regardless of whether she wins a medal in the 10m air-rifle event.

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