Revealed: Pregnant GB Paralympics archer shoots the round of her life just THREE DAYS after being admitted to a Paris hospital due to concerns over her baby

A GB Paralympics archer who is seven months pregnant shot the round of her life on Thursday, three days after being admitted to a Paris hospital maternity ward because of concerns about her baby.

Jodie Grinham shot a personal best 693 to finish fourth in the women’s qualifying round but later revealed that she had spent last weekend on a local ward after her baby had stopped moving.

The 31-year-old said: ‘On Saturday and Sunday, I was in one of the local maternity wards here. We are in a position where we are not sure if we are having contractions, or if I am starting to dilate a little bit.

‘They were absolutely brilliant. They looked after me really well. They said, “There’s no point trying to tell you to rest as you are going to compete, but when you are done, you are done.” I said, “Alright, I will give you that.’ 

Scans founds that Grinham and her baby are perfectly healthy, though she now has to hope that it does not arrive before the Saturday final.

Despite the disruption to her preparation Grinham shot a personal best of 693 to finish fourth

Grinham, from west Wales, said: ‘We have to make sure nothing progresses. Thankfully I am not competing on Friday.’

Grinham and her partner lost three pregnancies before they their son, Christian, who is now two. She had another miscarriage last year and contracted bacterial meningitis, which left her in hospital for three weeks last March.

But the 31-year-old, who is known for her electric pink, purple and blue tri-coloured hair, reiterated her belief on Thursday that she believes pregnancy and elite sport are compatible. She now hopes she will medal on Saturday and go straight home to have her baby.

Grinham has already adapted her kit to accommodate the pregnancy and ensure she doesn’t jab the baby when competing. She has swapped the belt she wears while competing, which normally goes around her belly button, for one that sits lower. She also has a heart-rate monitor to make sure that her training and competition are not causing stress to her baby.

Archery, with its reduced cardiovascular demands and limited upper-body movement, is a sport which accommodates pregnancy more than most.

Grinham said on Thursday: ‘I want to do both sport and motherhood. I am not willing to sacrifice either of them. Even though I am at home, I am mummy, the children don’t know any different. There are times when I pop out and I go on the range for half an hour and then come back. It is no different to if you are doing the food shop.

‘If I am in athlete mode, then that is it, I am in an athlete mindset. Unless there is a gosh, awful emergency, my partner takes care of it. He deals with the kids. He’s absolutely fantastic.

Grinham adapted her equipment for her pregnancy – with a belt that sits lower than normal

‘If I worked in an office, they would be absolutely fine with me still working until I am 39 weeks. So what’s the difference with me competing at seven months?’

Afghanistan archer Yaylagul Ramazanova competed in the Paris Olympics whilst six months pregnant and Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez was seven months pregnant after being defeated in her round-of-16 match at the same Games. But Grinham is thought to be further into pregnancy than any woman has been at a Paralympics.