The move comes in response to calls from new mothers for sporting bodies to take greater account of parenthood, most notably French judo star Clarisse Agbegnenou. "I don't mind anything as long as I can be with my daughter," Agbegnenou told RMC Sport.
Since becoming a mother in June 2022, the 31-year-old athlete is aiming for a second individual Olympic title in Paris, and has been accompanying her daughter wherever she goes.
"To put things in perspective, I've decided to breastfeed my daughter until she's weaned. She hasn't yet, so I'm following her. I've made sure that I feel good physically, because of course there's an element of tiredness. But as a mother who needs to be very present for my daughter, I asked for the opportunity to have her with me during the Olympics," she continued.
"This will be my third Olympics and I know what it's like. We are really all girls together, so I didn't want to disturb the girls, but I couldn't imagine doing these Games without my daughter knowing that I was still breastfeeding her".
Breastfeeding French athletes will be offered rooms in a hotel near the athletes' village where they can sleep with their babies or have their fathers look after them, French Olympic Committee secretary general Astrid Guyart told reporters.
Olympic rules mean that children can be given passes to enter the athletes' village in exceptional circumstances, Guyart explained, but the passes are "very limited". A social area for families will also be created in the hotel, at an estimated cost of around 40,000 euros ($43,000).
"It's unprecedented and it's something we want to make permanent, so it's not a one-off because it's the Olympics in Paris," said Astrid Guyart.
Rafael Khalatyan
