Pregnant Olympic archer 'felt her baby kick' before surprise win

An Olympian who managed to compete while pregnant has shared the sign her unborn child gave her.

Yaylagul Ramazanova had been competing in the heats for archery, and managed to score a surprise win.

The archer, who is from Azerbaijan, was six and a half months pregnant while competing at the Olympics.

And in a heartwarming moment, she described how prior to her victory in the heat, she felt an unexpected sign from her baby.

Ramazanova had been neck and neck with China's An Qixuan, who was tipped to win.

The highest score you can get for a single arrow is 10, and Ramazanova needed this in order to win the heat.

The athlete spoke to Chinese state news agency Xinhua News about what happened next.

Yaylagul Ramazanova competed in the archery. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

She said: “I felt my baby kick me before I shot this last arrow, and then I shot a 10."

What a wonderful moment, and certainly one she can tell to her child for years!

Speaking about her pregnancy, she said: “I didn’t feel uncomfortable with my pregnancy.

“Instead, I felt that I was not fighting alone, but fighting together with my baby.”

Ramazanova, 35, went on to be eliminated in the next round, but has become a sensation, with thousands of new fans.

Among them is Casey Kaufhold of Team USA, who happens to be ranked number one in the world.

The 20-year-old Olympian told Associated Press: “I think it’s awesome that we see more expecting mothers shooting in the Olympic Games and it’s great to have one in the sport of archery.

Yaylagul Ramazanova won the heat. (PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)

“She shot really well, and I think it’s really cool because my coach is also a mother and she’s been doing so much to support her kids even while she’s away.”

She added: “I think it’s awesome for this archer that one day, she can tell her kid, ‘Hey, I went to the Olympic Games and you were there, too,'"

Ramazanova was not the only athlete to compete this year while pregnant.

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez took to the piste while seven months pregnant.

Hafez, 26, wrote on Instagram on July 30: “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!”

She added: “My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional.

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

What an incredible pair of women!