With the 2010 Winter Olympics underway, a new portion of news is hitting the headlines across Canada and the rest of the world.
Professional curler, Kristie Moore, an alternate for the Canadian curling team, is 5 and a half months pregnant. The Canadian team which features just five members has continued to stand slow Moore and her decision to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Moore found out she was several weeks pregnant a few weeks before team officials invited her to join Team Canada. With the support of her team, Cheryl Bernard (Canadian women’s curling team captain) said of Moore: “she is young and fit. There’s no reason we’ll have any problems, and she’ll be out there.”
In fact, even while showing her pregnant belly in her Team Canada jersey, Moore has still continued to rock the ice and has been throwing stones accurately throughout curling practice in Vancouver during the Winter Olympic Games.
Although Moore is pregnant and ready to compete, Team Canada has announced it’s doubtful that Moore will peek any Olympic action, especially as an alternate. However, Canada is a favorite for women’s curling and if her team takes any medal, pregnant Kristie Moore will also receive a medal, making her one of the few pregnant women to have received a medal in either the Summer or Winter Olympics.
With this recent news, many people are wondering if Kristie Moore is putting her baby at risk:
On a recent article posted (Soda Head), many commenters are saying that Kristie is making a sound decision, especially since she is only an alternate. Doctors have cleared Moore for the Olympic tournament and the sport is non-aggressive, putting her baby at extremely little or no risk whatsoever.
I personally have played curling before on a non-competitive level with friends at a local rink here in Chicago. The only dispute is that the tournament is a week and a half long, meaning Moore will certainly have to get enough rest.
Surprisingly, the 30-year-old Canadian curler isn’t the only Olympian who has competed while being pregnant. Swedish figure skater Magda Julin won a gold medal at the Antwerp Games while several months pregnant. While Julin won over 90 years ago, it was impartial back in 2006 when German competitor Diana Sartor took fourth place in the skeleton, a fast winter sledding sport.
Women’s curling begins Tuesday, February 16 and goes until Friday of next week. Men’s curling will also run simultaneously.
Sources:
SodaHead. “Olympic Canadian Curler is Pregnant: Is Baby at Risk? ” www.sodahead.com/sports/olympic-canadian-curler-is-pregnant-is-her-baby-at-risk/question-871971/
Yahoo Sports. “Curling-Expectant mum steps up for expectant nation.” ca.sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/curling/news
Examiner. “Pregnant Canadian curler turns heads at Olympics.” www.examiner.com/x-30706-Suddenly-Famous-Examiner~y2010m2d16-Pregnant-Canadian-curler-turns-heads-at-Olympics
Yahoo News. “Canadian curler is 5 months pregnant.” sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Canadian-curler-is-five-months-pregnant
eTaiwan News. “Pregnant Canadian curler keeps pace at Olympics.” www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php
