A medal win while pregnant for star Olympian Elinor
WELSH cycling star Elinor Barker has revealed she was pregnant when winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
The 27 year old from Cardiff took to social media to post her brilliant personal news.
Barker, a member of the British women’s team pursuit squad that took gold in Rio in 2016, rode only in the qualifying round of the event in Tokyo before being replaced by Neah Evans.
“Casper and I are so happy to announce that we’re expecting our first child!” Barker wrote on Instagram. “We really can’t believe how lucky we are and are so excited for the next part of our lives to begin.”
In a separate post, Barker added: “And for the eagle eyed among you who have done the maths...yep, I was pregnant at the Tokyo Olympics!”
Barker helped Team GB win silver in the team pursuit in Japan.
The former Llanishen High School pupil, who recently signed a two-year contract to join the Uno-X team to develop her road career, said she had taken inspiration from the likes of Laura Kenny, Lizzie Deignan and Sarah Storey as she plans to resume racing after giving birth.
“Because of these women (and many more), I didn’t doubt the future of my career for one second,” Barker wrote. “I’d also like to thank @unoxteam and @britishcycling for not hesitating to offer their full support.
“I’m fully aware that I’d be in a totally different situation if this had happened just a few years ago, and I’m so grateful for the difference that visibility for athlete mothers has made.”
Upon announcing the news she proudly posted pictures on social media accounts of her with a photo of the scan, and another one with her Olympic team-mates.
Barker also put together a selection of images from her summer training when she was preparing for Tokyo.
She says some shots were before she had any idea she was expecting, some were before she knew for sure – but in the last one she actually had the positive test in her pocket.
Barker has achieved phenomenal success as a track and road cyclist. As well as winning gold at the Rio Olympics and silver in Tokyo, she is a world record holder and has won world and European honours.