Breastfeeding Mother Granted Permission To Bring Her Baby To Tokyo Olympics

Breastfeeding mothers competing at the Olympic Games in Tokyo are now allowed to bring their babies with them.

Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher has become the first athlete in history to be granted permission by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bring her infant child with her to the Games.

"I'm incredibly happy and very thankful for all the people who fought for this and helped out with this," Gaucher said.

PA

"There can be moments of frustration, but I think women's sports is evolving and sometimes it takes a little bit of time for everyone to get on the same page. I'm happy that this decision has been made. The right decision for women in sports and we can move forward."

Gaucher's quest to bring her three-month-old daughter to Tokyo has been given the green light - but it was no easy task.

According to the 37-year-old, the IOC initially gave her an ultimatum: Spend almost a month on the road without her daughter or miss the Olympic Games altogether.

It was after those conditions that Gaucher made an heartfelt plea with the sport's governing body.

"Japanese fans are going to be in attendance, the arenas are going to be half full, but I will not have access to my daughter?" Gaucher said in an emotional video posted on social media.

"We've tried appeals. Everyone says they're on board, but nobody can do anything. Let's see if we can make a difference. It's 2021. Let's make working moms normal."

With mounting pressure from the public, the IOC have now backflipped on their initial call and have granted permission for Gaucher to bring little Sophie with her.

"We very much welcome the fact that so many mothers are able to continue to compete at the highest level, including at the Olympic Games," the IOC said in a statement.

"We are very pleased to hear that the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has found a special solution regarding the entry to Japan for mothers who are breastfeeding and their young children."

Topics: Breastfeeding, Basketball, olympics, olympic games, Tokyo Olympics, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry