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Olympians are used to pulling off incredible feats of endurance, pushing past their own limits of exhaustion and overwhelming mental blocks to persevere in competition. So no one is better equipped to face down an all-nighter with an infant, or a daunting diaper change.
Parenthood at the Olympics has been more a part of the conversation than ever, especially since Allyson Felix worked with Pampers to create the first-ever family space in the Athletes' Village for the 2024 Paris Olympic games to provide a comfortable, kid-friendly area to Olympians who traveled with their children to the games.
And it was all worth it to see these Olympic medalists celebrating the peak of their athletic careers alongside their children. Check out some of the most heartwarming, emotional moments of Olympic parents sharing their medal moment with their kids.
Marit Bouwmeester
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After her gold in women's dinghy sailing made her the most-decorated female Olympian in sailing, she celebrated her major accomplishment with two-year-old Jessie Mae.
“I’m very, very, very grateful to be in the Olympics and also be a mom,” Bouwmeester said, according to the AP, and added that she was to focus on Jessie Mae before deciding if she'd compete in the next Games.
Achraf Hakimi
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Part of the bronze-winning soccer team from Morocco, Achraf Hakimi showed that he is also #parentinggoals, clearly getting a kick out of little Naim.
Elinor Barker
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U.K. cyclist Elinor Barker shares a sweet moment with her husband Casper Jopling and their son Nico after winning bronze with her track cycling team.
"I am going to be showing him the medal first thing in the morning. I don't even know how to comprehend how special it has been, she said, according to the BBC. "It's amazing to be able to show him photos when he is older, that he came to the Olympics and watched his mum get a medal and be on the Olympic podium."
Barker found out she was pregnant with Nico while she was competing in the Tokyo games, where she took silver, and at the time she thanked her team and sponsors for their support of her continuing to compete. "I’m so grateful for the difference that visibility for athlete mothers has made," she said.
Novak Djokovic: Tennis
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A sobbing Novak Djokovic won his first Olympic gold playing singles for Serbia, and dropped to his knees upon clinching his win. He then went to the players box, where he sobbed as he embraced his wife Jelena Djokovic and their two children, Stefan and Tara.
Amber Rutter: Skeet
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Just three months after welcoming son Tommy, Amber Rutter earned a silver medal in skeet shooting — then got the happy news that her husband James had secretly flown to Paris with their baby to surprise her after the competition.
“I had no idea they were coming,” Rutter said, according to The Guardian. "I know Tommy might not remember it, but I definitely will, so I’m so glad they made the journey."
Scottie Sheffler: Golf
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Another brand-new baby on hand to celebrate their medal-winning parent: Bennett Scheffler, born to Scottie and his wife Meredith May 8, who came decked out in a custom Olympic rings onesie to see dad take the gold in golf (and go viral for his sweet, emotional reaction to his win).
Tommy Fleetwood
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Golfer Tommy Fleetwood won silver for the U.K. and got to celebrate with the best cheering section: wife Clare and two of their sons.
Matthew Ebden and John Peers: Tennis
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The gold-winning men's doubles team showed some love to their supportive kiddos after the match.
Teddy Riner: Judo
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Winning his third individual gold in men's judo earned France's Teddy Riner an extra-long hug from his daughter, who wore France's colors in her hair.
Helen Glover: Rowing
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After winning a silver for the U.K. in the women's rowing four, Helen Glover celebrated with her three kiddos, all wearing adorable shirts that read "GO MUMMA GO!"
Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors: Rowing
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The gold medalists in the women's double sculls, Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors from New Zealand, got an adorable moment with their little ones, handed down for a hug by dads in the stands.
Clarisse Agbegnenou: Judo
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Clarisse Agbegnenou tearfully took home the bronze for France with baby Athéna in her arms.
“I want women athletes who follow me to feel free and legitimate, to break codes to change mentalities and change the rules. We can have a life as a woman and mother as well as champion at the same time,” she told Le Parisien, per The Guardian.
Abegnenou was also one of the biggest proponents for accommodations for breastfeeding moms leading up to the Games, and her advocacy led the Paris Olympics committee to provide hotel rooms near the venues for athletes to use to feed or pump.
Caeleb Dressel: Swimming
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Caeleb Dressel (designated a "proud papa" by Beyoncé, the world's highest honor) welcomed August with his wife Meghan in February 2024, and though the baby slept through most of his dad's electrifying 4x100 relay win for the United States, he woke up in time to get an emotional hug from his parents.
"My son getting to watch me win a gold medal is everything," Dressel told NBCreporters.
Adam Peaty: Swimming
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The U.K.'s Adam Peaty lost out on the gold by fractions of a second in his 100M freestyle race, but he said that seeing son George, 3, in the stands, helped him move on from his defeat, according to The Daily Mail.
"He normally goes, 'Daddy, are you the fastest boy?' and I would have said, 'Not today.' But he just said, 'I love you Daddy,' and that’s all I care about," he said, according to the publication. ‘When I hugged George, as soon as I saw his curly hair, I was gone, I was crying. I feel like I've been stung by a bee because I feel so swollen in my face because I've been crying so much."
Victor Koretzky: Cross-Country Mountain Bike
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Victor Koretzky, cycling for France, also missed the top of the podium by a narrow margin, but his silver was made sweeter by getting to celebrate it with his family, including wife Lea and their son.
Paulin Riva: Rugby
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Paulin Riva, a member of France's gold-winning rugby sevens team shows off the pitch to, perhaps, a future member of France's women's rugby team in 2044?
Auriane Mallo-Breton: Fencing
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Little Mathis admires his mom Auriane Mallo-Breton's silver medal for France, from the epée individual competition.
Tom Daley: Diving
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Tom Daley's children Robbie and Phoenix cheered for their dad (while wearing shirts with his face on them) as he took home his fifth Olympic medal in diving for the U.K. "Them getting to see him dive today was so special already," husband Dustin Lance Black said. "And the fact that he just won the one medal he’s never won before ... It’s very moving for family because we see the hard work and dedication that goes into making it look effortless and it’s what he and [diving partner Noah Williams] did today. So we’re so proud.”