Pregnant Athlete Urged to Reconsider Olympics and a Look at Other Pregnant Athletes

Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi has already secured her airline ticket to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. The tickets were purchased approximately five months ahead of time. This poses a potential problem for Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi because she is currently three months pregnant and scheduled to participate in two of the shooting competitions. Those in charge of the Olympic Council of Malaysia believe that she should dropout due to the impact the pregnancy may have on her performance. She may even be removed from the team. She has shown no sign of quitting, however. She is not the only athlete to have competed in her sport while pregnant, however. Here are five other athletes who have competed in sports while pregnant.

Kristie Moore

At five and a half months pregnant, in 2010, Kristie Moore held a spot on the Canadian Olympic curling team. She was an alternate and though she did not get any playing time, she did get a silver medal as a member of the team. Her pregnancy did not deter those who selected her to be on the team. She became just the third athlete to compete in the Olympic Games while pregnant.

Mackenzie McCollum

Mackenzie McCollum was barred from playing high school volleyball during her first trimester when she was 17. After receiving a doctor's clearance to play, she was allowed back on the team. In late 2009, McCollum filed a lawsuit against the school which alleged a Title IX violation. The Office of Civil Rights dismissed the lawsuit due to a lack of evidence of a civil rights violation.

Diana Sartor

In 2006, when she was in her first trimester, Diana Sartor participated in the skeleton at the Olympic Games. Representing Germany, the athlete managed an impressive fourth place finish. Though just out of medal contention, she is still an accomplished athlete.

Connie Neal

Connie Neal was practicing and playing for the University of Louisville women's basketball team up until she was eight months pregnant. She never told anyone of the pregnancy before that point. Those who were around her indicated that Neal did not appear to be pregnant but she did appear slower. Despite not seeking medical care for her unborn baby, the baby girl was born healthy in early 2005. Neal's athletics caused no harm to the child.

Magda Julin

Back in 1920, Magda Julin took the gold medal for figure skating. The Swedish skater was three months pregnant at the time. She was the first to get a medal while pregnant and so far the only expectant mother to grab the gold.

Though Kristin Watt is not a fan of all sports, she does follow the news on most sports religiously. Major news events in one sport do tend to ripple out to others and she makes sure that she never misses the big stories.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.