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At the USATF Outdoor Championships on Sunday, now six-time national champion and super mum Alysia Montaño took home first place in the 800 metres.
Alysia competed in the same event in 2014 yet, unlike last year, Alysia was carrying a slightly lighter load. Running in the event at 34 weeks pregnant, Alysia roused a huge ovation as she crossed the line in 2min 32.13secs, just seven weeks before giving birth to her daughter Linnea.
This year, Alysia ran an incredible time of 1min 59:15secs, celebrating with her 10 ½-month-old daughter in her arms. Montaño, who is still breastfeeding, said to USATF: “Coming back from pregnancy and winning a national title—I didn’t know it would happen this soon.”
However, Alysia’s inspiring post-partum bounce back became strikingly apparent earlier this year after winning the 600 meters in the US indoor championships in early March.
Showing a highly tactical performance on Sunday, Montaño started off slightly slower than usual, staying back until the last stretch where she held off reigning world bronze medallist and former teammate Brenda Martinez.
Alysia couldn’t have looked happier as she crossed the line to cradle her baby daughter, the mother and daughter duo like peas in a pod, as they posed to the US crowds in their matching floral headbands.
Watch the race video here:
