Competing In The Olympic Trials While 18-Weeks Pregnant

By: Greta Stuckey

Lindsay Flach, an Olympic heptathlete traveled to compete at the track and field Olympic trials in Oregon. Not only did Flach compete, but she did it 18-weeks pregnant.

Previously, Flach competed for a spot on the 2012 and 2016 Olympic heptathlon teams. Flach finished second at the 2018 USA Outdoor Championships. The heptathlon is seven varied competitions – the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter sprint, long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run – which makes it one of the hardest events in track and field.

“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 Sports.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 31-year-old heptathlete planned to chase a spot on the United States team one last time before starting a family with her new husband. When the 2020 Olympics were postponed due to the pandemic, Flach decided she could balance her desire to be a mother and Olympic athlete.

“It was bittersweet," Flach told Yahoo Sports of finding out she was pregnant. "I was really excited because I've always wanted kids, but it was also a shock knowing that just like that, my track career was over.”

Although different, Flach’s track career was not over. Her plan of competing was pushed back by a year, but she still worked hard to make it to the trials and compete against the nest in the country. In Oregon, Flach started every event in the heptathlon and ended the competition 15th out of 18.

“My big concern was making sure that I was healthy and the baby was healthy,” Flach said to Yahoo Sports.

While Flach completed every event, she had to modify some of her movements and attempts to accommodate her pregnancy. She modified her steps for the hurdles and only made one attempt in the high jump to ensure she wouldn't get injured.

“I did have some negative reactions when I announced it,” Flach said to Yahoo Sports. “You’re risking the baby. Women shouldn’t do this when they’re pregnant. You’re being selfish. You’re taking someone else’s spot.”

In addition, she only ran the first 100m of the 800m run because of the extreme heat in Eugene during the time of the race which put her at high-risk with her pregnancy. Flach took precautions when competing because she didn’t have the easiest pregnancy.

“My pregnancy was very rough to start,” Flach said to Yahoo Sports. “I had about 12 weeks of bad vomiting, which affected my training. If the Olympic Trials were three weeks ago, I don’t know that I would have been there, but I started to feel better and I was able to get some really good practices in.”

In college at the University of South Alabama, Flach was a two-time second-team All-American in the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. She won the heptathlon at the Sun Belt Conference Championships each of her last three years in college. She also played volleyball at South Alabama.

While Flach’s final score in the 2021 Trials was less than half of her personal best, she didn’t compete for a spot on the team. Instead, Flach competed to show women that pregnancy doesn’t have to be a limitation in sports. Of course, pregnancy changes a woman's life and body, but it doesn’t mean she can no longer be an athlete. Flach competed at one of the highest levels in sports while she was four months pregnant and in doing so, she fulfilled two of her dreams.