Cycling-Briton Barker says she won Tokyo silver while pregnant

FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Cycling - Track - Women's Team Pursuit - Qualification - Izu Velodrome, Shizuoka, Japan - August 2, 2021. Elinor Barker of Britain, Josie Knight of Britain and Katie Archibald of Britain in action. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

(Reuters) - Britain's Elinor Barker said she was pregnant when she won a silver medal in the track cycling team pursuit event at the Tokyo Olympics.

Barker, who was part of the team that finished second to Germany at the Izu Velodrome in August, tweeted on Tuesday that she and her partner were expecting their first child.

"We can't believe how lucky we are and are so excited to start the next part of our lives together," Barker, who won team pursuit gold at the 2016 Rio Games, wrote.

"And for the eagle eyed among you who have done the maths... yep, I was pregnant at the Tokyo Olympics," the 27-year-old former world and European champion added on Instagram.

American tennis great Serena Williams was about two months pregnant when she won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open in 2017.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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