Pregnancy in elite sport

The happy outcome of the Paris Games, that gold blame : Olympic gold opened the ban on motherhood. For the first time in professional women’s sport in Spain, two players of the same team have become pregnant in the same season. Judith Forca and Maica García, referents of the Astralpool CN Sabadell, face the adventure of being mothers in full sports career in the elite, without retiring. An exciting, peculiar path. And not exempt from complexities. The two waterpolists explain it to The avant -garde.

“In the water polo it is never a good time to stop and be a mother, but Olympic gold helped us take the step.”

Judith Forca (28) is pregnant for 33 weeks. Wait for Clara from May 16.

– After winning Olympic gold I only thought about being a mother. I didn’t care if it was more difficult to be as an elite athlete – explains the left -hander.

Maica García (34) is 15 weeks. It will be accounts in mid -September.

–In the water polo is never a good time to stop and be a mother. But in 2024 I did everything: I won the Olympic gold, married and opened the possibility of being a mother – the team captain did.

Winning Olympic gold – they admit – helped them “take the final step”, to plan motherhood. Both wanted it for a long time; You just had to find the moment. And after Paris’s gold, a window of opportunity opened taking advantage of the change of the Olympic cycle: they could be mothers, but at the same time remain elite athletes.

– Years ago, the companions who wanted to be mothers first retired from the water polo. But I don’t want to retire. When she is a mother, if I see that I do not give for more [como waterpolista]then I will leave it, ”explains Maica, which refers to the examples of excompañeras who were mothers when hanging the hat, such as Ona Messeguer, Marta Bach, Laura López, Helena Lloret or Lorena Miranda.

There are very few who returned to the pool being mothers. Maica points out a model to follow: Alexandra Asimaki (36), considered the best Greek waterpolist in history, a habitual rival in the Vouliagmeni and the Olympiacos. He retired in 2020 with 32 years, for a hip injury, she became pregnant and returned in 2022 with the Alms, the Champions rival who eliminated Sabadell yesterday in the quarterfinals. He is 36 years old and maintains its quality.

–It has been a mother, I wanted to be a young mother, with 24 … now it was a good time: because you have achieved your sports dream [el oro olímpico] And you take the step; And because the woman in sport has more visibility, more aid and coverage, “explains Forca. We are at the beginning of the Olympic cycle, there are three years for Los Angeles, and I would like to arrive.

After taking the step, finding the ideal window in the sports race and receiving the great news, comes the harsh reality of the pregnant elite athlete: leaving physical activity, adapting to a new life, “moving from 200 to zero.”

“We miss competing, training, day to day in the locker room,” says Maica García.

Therefore, the two waterpolists come to almost all training, to talk to their companions, to laugh, to be pampered. Their lives of athletes have stopped suddenly. To train 4-5 hours every day, to make sessions of 2,000 and 3,000 meters of pool and an hour and a half of gym raising weights, to practically do nothing.

– The head and the body ask you exercise, activity – it admits Maica, which walks with its dog Samba, stretches, elliptical and tape “not to be caregored.” And he also dedicates himself more to his business business, La Saloner, a beauty salon in Sabadell.

– Mentally, it is very strong to move from 200 to zero … I also suffer insomnia and hormonal changes of crazy – the Boya of the Astralpool CN Sabadell says.

– I keep training a little, I go for a walk to my dogs, Rudy and Bimba, but I can not do any water anymore. It is a very strong change, I do not get used to being stopped – says Judith, who left the competition and training in November. During this time of inactivity, the Zurda of CN Sabadell has not sought any job occupation, “but I dedicate myself to make investments in floors and rental.”

In fact, they don’t want to replace their jobs Waterpolistas because in mind they have the return, with their eyes on the Los Angeles Games 2028.

–My intention is to play water polo again, but I will see it. I do not know how my body will return, when they will discharge me, how will conciliation be … I would like to play in Los Angeles with my daughter in the stands, it is a double dream that I have now – anhela Forca.

–The depends so much of the body of each one … Each pregnancy is a world, and in each sport the physical effort is different. You have to respect the times, there is no hurry. The ultimate goal is to reach Los Angeles. I will be 37 years old, I know. It is a challenge. You never know, ”says Garcia.

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And while they create their creatures and their companions, they continue to compete, on the way to the eighth Champions, the club that formed them suffers the collateral damage of pregnancy: the loss of two Olympic champions at the same time makes a dent in the competitiveness of the team. The Queen’s Cup already escaped. The club wanted to reinforce but the regulation of the Spanish Federation sets limitations when replacing a pregnant player: you cannot hire anyone who has a card with another club, and if it is not selectable Spanish (community or extra -community, it is indistinct) there is a maximum of four seats per team (and no more than two of the same country). In addition, it must be registered before starting the season or in the January window.

In the Champions there are no quotas per country of origin, but the new player must register in the January window.

Collateral damage

Focus on CN Sabadell for the “neglect” of the Spanish Federation

The joy of expanding the family has been clouded in CN Sabadell for the discomfort caused by “sports damage” for losing two Olympic champions. “We are late in an aspect that had to have been solved for a long time, and it has not been done by negligence of the Spanish Federation,” laments CN Sabadell, Claudi Martí, upset with the lack of reflexes of the federative entity. “In other sports, these issues are resolved.” Martí complains that in other disciplines, internal regulations allow to replace a pregnant player, as is the case in the football league F, but in the water polo “neither the casualties for pregnancy nor long duration have been resolved; Declined to resort to the arbitral court of the sport and open a legal battle, despite the fact that labor and European legislation are protected. This week he incorporated Roser Tarragó (32), the only player he found in the free market, after taking more than a year withdrawal from the water polo.