Boost for Beatrice Chebet, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Co as World Athletics Launches Pregnancy Support Programme

World Athletics has initiated a new project aimed at understanding and supporting elite female athletes through pregnancy, childbirth, and their return to competition.

The initiative, named the Childbirth And Return in Elite Sport (CARES) project, will combine scientific research with policy development, placing the experiences of athletes at its core. The primary goal is to gather evidence that will shape future policies and support systems, ultimately protecting female athletes and promoting equity in elite athletics.

As a key part of this effort, World Athletics is inviting female athletes to participate in one of two surveys. The surveys, developed in collaboration between the governing body's Health and Science and Competition departments with input from the Athletes' Commission, are open to both athletes who have been pregnant and those who have not.

The first survey targets female athletes who have experienced a pregnancy at any point since January 1, 2019, during their elite careers, regardless of the outcome. It seeks information on their experiences with pregnancy, childbirth, and returning to sport, covering topics such as perceived barriers, available support, contractual issues, and potential adjustments to world rankings during maternity leave.

This data will be supplemented by a retrospective analysis of performance metrics from the World Athletics database to provide new scientific insights.

A second survey is designed for elite female athletes who have not been pregnant. This questionnaire will gather their perceptions on organisational support, maternity-related policies, and potential ranking protection mechanisms.

"We are continually looking for ways to make our sport even more equitable, and the CARES project is the next step in ensuring athletes who experience pregnancy are protected, receive support, and do not face barriers when it comes to being able to make a return to elite athletics," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. "It is important that our athletes are the driving force behind this."

Valerie Adams, Chair of the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission and a mother of two, praised the initiative for fostering a more open dialogue about motherhood in sport.

"When I started my career, you didn’t want to tell your sponsors if you got pregnant because you might get dropped," Adams stated. "By the time I retired... we’re seeing more female athletes coming back from having kids and performing at an elite level. I hope that the work being done in this space will further inspire female athletes to not only plan their sporting career, but also plan their life.”

All elite female athletes included in the World Athletics competition performance ranking are eligible to participate in the surveys. The deadline for submissions is September 30.

Among the high-profile athletes currently out on maternity leave is Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, the Olympics and world 10,000m champion as well as former 5,000m world record holder Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia. Olympics 400m hurdles champion and record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is also expecting her first child.