A commentator’s suggestion during Australia’s opening Women’s World Cup match that “motherhood” had “not blunted” midfielder Katrina Gorry’s “competitive instincts” drew widespread criticism.
Gorry, who later said she did not take the comment personally, is far from the first mother to come back to the highest levels of elite sport. Her post-pregnancy return is emblematic of a growing trend among female athletes, who overcome remarkable physical and psychological changes to continue their professional careers.
