Mujinga Kambundji: "I translated the pregnancy test in China with Google Translate"

Mujinga Kambundji, how are you doing during your pregnancy?

Things went very well from the start; I was lucky. I never felt sick. I felt the fatigue the most, but I was still able to complete my training sessions normally and perform well. Until the tenth week, not much changed physically; only then did the hormones start to change things. Then I noticed my performance drop.

How did you notice these hormonal changes?

They came on gradually. My physiotherapist thought, a week before I told her about the pregnancy, that my hip was more mobile than ever. The ligaments and tendons were getting softer. I had less tone. At the beginning of April, at the training camp in Belek, my performance level was still high. It wasn't until shortly before the Diamond League meeting in China at the end of April that I noticed my stamina was lower. Then, in mid-May, before the race in Doha, I noticed that things weren't the same anymore. My stomach started to change without actually getting bigger. I no longer had the same stability.

Did you approach these Diamond League meetings with the same attitude as usual?

In China, I felt good and explosive during the warm-up and the starts. It wasn't until the 200-meter race that I realized I was running out of energy towards the end. After the race, I felt dizzy; I found it really exhausting. 100 meters would probably have been fine.

And before Doha?

Training was up and down, but I didn't want to attribute everything to the pregnancy. Instead, I tried to remain an athlete. During my warm-up, I felt something was missing. The main problem was probably that I had lost muscle tone, which I didn't realize right away. Running with much less explosiveness is completely different. In Doha, it was clear that this was my last competition. Because my performance wasn't up to scratch, not because I didn't feel good anymore.

Do you enjoy being pregnant?

I'm enjoying it. But I'm also lucky that I'm doing so well—I've heard completely different stories. I'm getting a little slower in training every week. But overall, I'm happy that I'm having a good pregnancy. My mother and sister had the same experience; otherwise, I probably wouldn't have taken the risk of getting pregnant during the indoor season.

So you got pregnant during the indoor season with the European Championships and the World Championships?

I found out shortly before the World Indoor Championships. They were being held in China, and I didn't have a test with me. So I found a pharmacy, took a Chinese test, and translated the instructions with Google Translate. It was funny to experience it like that.

How early did you start thinking about what you were allowed to do and what you weren't allowed to do?

Once it became clear that pregnancy was an option, I consulted with various specialists: my gynecologist, an endocrinologist, and a woman who works extensively with athletes and also offers postnatal exercise classes. Simply to find out how realistic it was to compete while pregnant. I didn't know when everything would start to change. For example, what supplements could I still take?

Did you deliberately plan your pregnancy now so that there would be enough time until the 2028 Olympic Games ?

Yes, the idea was to use this period between the Olympic Games. Actually, the sooner the better, but I didn't know if I might want to compete in another season. At some point, I decided to do the indoor season. But you never know when you'll get pregnant, so planning is difficult.

So you have already dealt with this intensively in advance.

Yes, for example, it was always said that women perform better in the first months of pregnancy, but I couldn't really find anything on that. So I simply wanted to know: What are the hormones doing at the beginning? Do they help or not? Until when can I do something? Are the high heart rate and the stress of competition okay or not? To know whether it even makes sense to try it during the indoor season.

How much expert knowledge is there on this? We know a lot about pregnancies in endurance sports. But there's little empirical data on sprinting.

Yes, people always say you can exercise – but not what's possible and realistic. There aren't many studies on pregnant women in general, and even fewer on pregnant elite athletes .

You gathered information early. Do you like certainty?

I like it when things are clear. That I don't have to ask myself during training: Is this okay or not? That way, I already knew that getting a lot of sleep won't get rid of fatigue. Or that it won't make you less efficient. That was good.

Did you have to give up anything specific, such as high-intensity training?

Not really. I've heard from various sources that it's not necessarily problematic, and I'm in regular contact with my medical team at the Hirslanden Group. Many things that we didn't know would have a negative impact are now being discovered to be okay depending on the individual. But I stopped doing the extremely lactic acid training anyway. I was worried at first, but everything was always fine during the checkups. And so I quickly got used to it.

Are you receiving more intensive care than other pregnant women?

Yes, I think so. My first point of contact is my gynecologist. As long as I'm still training hard, which is four sessions a week, I see her every three weeks. To make sure everything's okay and I can continue like this. Others have told me that you suddenly reach a point where, for example, you're not allowed to hit anyone anymore. I don't want to miss that moment and then go too far.

Have you been in contact with other sprint moms? Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a mother, Allyson Felix...

I talked to Nia Ali. She inspires me the most. She was indoor world champion nine months after having my first child, world champion fifteen months after having my second, and ran a personal best after having my third.

So you're planning for the long term...

Yes, at least until 2028, there are only two seasons before that.

Have you had contact with female athletes in Switzerland?

With Belinda Bencic. At first, I didn't have that many questions, but now more and more are coming in. I've also been in contact with Joana Mäder and Sarah van Berkel. Maybe I'll meet other athletes at competitions with whom I can talk.

You've always wanted to start a family. Was there a moment when you said to yourself: I don't necessarily have to wait until after my career?

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was a good example for me. Two years after the birth of her son, she became world champion, getting better and better, and running significantly faster than before she became a mother. Allyson Felix had also made the step back into competitive sport after giving birth. That showed me that it was doable. Even before it became a concrete plan, I had this certainty in the back of my mind.

You mentioned Felix, who was a pioneer. The American protested because she was let down by her supplier, Nike . That changed a lot. How did Nike react to you?

Today, it's normal for an athlete to have a child during their career. Nike congratulated me and sent me a package with special maternity wear. Allyson was a pioneer who, unfortunately, wasn't able to benefit from it herself. I'm very grateful to her for what she did for us. I still remember very well that I received an addendum to my contract stating that we would now have maternity leave.

Do you have a plan A and a plan B for what happens after the birth?

Hopefully, I can get back to training as soon as possible. Other mothers have told me that you can start with breathing exercises on the first day. And that I'll feel for myself what works and what doesn't. I'll definitely be closely supervised to make sure I don't do too much too soon. Someone said you could think of it like rehab: You're building up, but you shouldn't try too hard too soon. Honestly, I can't even imagine what that will be like. Maybe I won't even feel like exercising at first.

Are you relaxed about this and are you giving yourself the time?

My due date is in November, which gives me plenty of time to get back into training and build up properly. If I can train and keep myself fit for as long as possible, the period of inactivity will hopefully be very short.

Do you want to compete again in 2026?

I'm very confident because I see how well it's worked for others. I've also had a bad start to a season several times due to injuries, and we've always found a solution. I think it will be similar after the birth: You'll notice what's not working and try to find alternative training methods. My coach, Florian Clivaz, is flexible enough to adapt.

The European Championships in Birmingham in August are a goal?

I hope I can be there. As the European 200-meter champion, I have a wildcard, so there won't be any stress about the time limit. If I'm fit, it doesn't really matter what I've done before.

Florian Clivaz is also your life partner. Is it easy to find the right path in training? He might also constantly remind you to pay attention.

The most important thing is to avoid injuries. Florian always says his goal is to make as few mistakes as possible. For example, I've already stopped practicing starts from the blocks because it's unnecessary if I'm not competing anyway. He also skips jumps – and anything that involves a certain amount of risk. I don't need to twist my ankle.

Has the exchange become more intense since you became pregnant?

We generally exchange a lot of information. When I was still racing in the spring, we discussed things a lot. Now I simply have my plan, and we review it every day to see if we need to adjust anything. Once, I was supposed to do 100-meter sprints, but I felt tired, so I only ran 80 meters. He lets me decide a lot of things myself because it doesn't really matter. The main thing is that I move—and I don't do anything dangerous.

Your partner always accompanies you to training camps. Do you already have a plan for how you'll manage this with your child? Will a nanny be coming along?

We're very well positioned. My father is retired and has plenty of time. I have a masseuse who is also retired now and then, and I'm sure she can help out now and then. Florian's mother works at a daycare center and is very experienced with young children. My mother still works quite a lot, but she often has time in the mornings. We have various options for taking someone with us to a training camp, but I don't know if that will be an option next year.

In 2026, you probably won't open the season with Diamond League meetings in China, but rather with races in Switzerland, right?

We haven't even looked into that yet. But when it comes to returning to the track, it doesn't really matter where you compete. We have a lot of good meets in Switzerland; you can easily compete here for an entire season. But maybe after the European Championships, I'll see if I'm interested in competing abroad for one or two more races.

You recently went on summer vacation for the first time in a long time. What's a summer like without any competitions?

I'm really enjoying it. My daily routine is almost the same, but the pressure to perform is gone. If a training session isn't so good, then that's just how it is. Because I don't have to invest as much time in recovery or traveling, I can also accept more requests. In return, I can spread the four training sessions around as it suits me. And I have time for other things. I was at the beach volleyball tournament in Gstaad, at the Women's European Football Championship—and I just didn't do anything during the holidays.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »