Women Who Came Back From Pregnancy to Dominate Track & Field | Can Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Do it?

In January 2026, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone announced that she is pregnant and expecting her first child. This has led to both celebration, as well as questions on if she could make a successful return to the track, especially ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Though pregnancy has sometimes been seen as the end of an athlete's career, the history of elite women in Track & Field tells a very different story. We'll look back a few women throughout history, from Allyson Felix and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, to Gwen Torrence and Wilma Rudolph, who stepped away from competition to start families, but returned to win Olympic and World championship medals. --------------------------------------------- Follow Me! Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmeroleAnderson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atkoeme --------------------------------------------- 🎧Want an Audio version of this episode? Check Out The Final Leg Podcast! 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/52DCy6GXDSvEyKvKQgOwZi?si=6a9a0a81ad534bd6 🟣 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-final-leg/id1738100718 --------------------------------------------- Subscribe to Citius Mag YouTube: @CitiusMag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citiusmag/ Twitter: https://x.com/CitiusMag -------------------------------------------- 📚Video Sources: --------------------------------------------- ⏰Video Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:12 Women Returning From Pregnancy 03:22 Allyson Felix 05:18 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 08:17 Nia Ali 10:33 Lashinda Demus 12:19 Yordonka Donkova 13:24 Gwen Torrence 14:53 Valarie Brisco-Hooks 16:56 Irena Szewinska 18:58 Wilma Rudolph 20:41 Fanny Blankers-Koen 22:43 Summary