Shooting for two! Heavily pregnant Malaysian Olympic competitor will take aim just a month from her due date

Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi will be 34 weeks pregnant when she competes in 10m rifle shooting event in London



29-year-old from Perak is due to give birth on September 2

The Malaysian rifle shooter Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi will be 34 weeks pregnant when she competes in the Olympic Games in London

In Olympic shooting competitions, every ounce of concentration is required at all times.

But when Malaysian shooter Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi takes aim with her rifle at the London Olympics, she’s unlikely to be bothered by whispers in the crowd, the screech of a bird or a mobile phone going off.

A kick at a crucial moment from her first child, however, and it could be a different story.

The 29-year-old from Perak - situated 125 miles north of Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur - is due to give birth to her first child on September 2, less than a month after the Games end.

She will be about 34 weeks pregnant when she fires her rounds in the 10m rifle e vent.

And with her huge baby bump, she will certainly be the most conspicuous of the 390 shooters taking part in the competition at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich.



She will not be the first pregnant athlete to compete in the Olympics, but never before has a competitor been so close to the due date.



Nur Suryani touched down in London yesterday with her husband Marhazli Mohtar, a policeman. While he has been supportive of her London 2012 aspirations, friends and her national Olympic committee weren’t so sure.

‘Most people said I was crazy and selfish because they think I am jeopardising my baby’s health,’ she said. ‘My husband said grab it as this is a rare chance which may not come again. Also, I am the mother. I know what I can do. I am a stubborn person.

‘They [the Malaysian National Olympic Committee] wanted to send me to London early because they are afraid, but what I hear from Malaysian airlines is that it is not recommended to travel for a pregnant woman from 35 weeks.’

Nur Suryani in action in a competition in Subang, Malaysia

Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi carries her equipment after a practice session at the Royal Artillery Barracks

Nur Suryani is currently ranked 47th in the world and is a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist

After the Olympics have finished, she won’t have to wait too much longer to welcome her daughter, who will be named Dayana Widyan, in to the world.

And it could be a double celebration if Nur Suryani gets on the Olympic podium.



She is currently ranked 47th in the world and is a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, partnering Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim in the air rifle pairs at the 2010 Games in New Delhi.

In November last year, she won two gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games in the 10 metre air rifle and 50m rifle three position.



She achieved the Olympic qualifying marks in both disciplines in January at the Asian Champions event in Qatar, days after finding out she was to become a mum, but her pregnancy will limit her to just the 10m event.

Understandably, Nur Suryani has had to adjust her stance to take part in the event. Some rifle shooting disciplines involve lying on your stomach as one of three positions from which to shoot.



'Yeah, I cannot do a prone position with this big stomach,' she said.



'At first yes, I was disappointed not to compete in that one (three position) but when I think back, this is still a great opportunity.

‘I will talk to the baby before I compete: ‘No kicking, stay calm for one hour and 15 minutes only please. But if the baby kicks I have to breathe easy and let her calm down before shooting.’

But she is unfazed by the challenge, having been comfortable in what many would perceive as a 'man's sport' since the age of 15.

'I like a rough job like that, not something girlie or feminine, I don't like those types of sports so I tried and its been ok.'