Olympian Blanca Manchón says she was told she was 'too fat' after childbirth and alleges Nike contract contained 'anti‑pregnancy' clause

Blanca Manchón, a former windsurfing world champion and two-time Olympian, says she was told she was "too fat" to compete after giving birth and alleges her long-term sponsor Nike included an "anti-pregnancy" clause in her contract.

Manchón, 38, described the experience at a round-table event organized by the Spanish Football Federation titled "Pregnancy, a right classified as a temporary illness," saying that her standing with her federation and sponsors deteriorated after she became pregnant at 29. She said the reaction contributed to her missing selection for the 2016 Olympic team and to the termination of sponsorships.

Manchón outlined a series of interactions she said illustrated institutional resistance to pregnancy among elite athletes. She said a senior figure in her federation told her, "Blanca, either you're competing in two months or I can't justify your being on the team," and that she was advised not to enter events because she was "still too fat." She recounted being retained during other injuries but treated differently after announcing her pregnancy.

The Seville-born sailor won seven world championships and a gold medal at the 2018 Mediterranean Games. She made her Olympic debut in 2004 at age 17 and returned to the Games at Tokyo 2020 — a 17-year gap between appearances — but said the path back to elite competition after becoming a mother was obstructed by both federation officials and sponsors.

Manchón said Nike, which she had represented for six years, stopped renewing her contract after her pregnancy and ceased providing clothing and promotional support. She said that when she reviewed the fine print of the agreement she found language she described as an "anti-pregnancy clause," and that the company did not directly address her concerns when she contacted them. She said she nonetheless passed pre-Olympic team selection tests just 12 weeks after giving birth to her son Noah in December 2016.

Nike previously faced public criticism over its treatment of pregnant athletes. In 2019 the company revised its maternity policy after high-profile complaints from athletes including U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix, who said Nike had attempted to reduce her pay while she was pregnant. At the time, Nike said it was standardizing its approach across sports so that "no female athlete is adversely impacted financially for pregnancy" and expanded coverage around maternity to 18 months.

Manchón said she understands that private brands may make marketing decisions, but she criticized the silence and lack of direct communication from sponsors when pregnancy altered an athlete's public image. "Motherhood and pregnancy have to be seen as something normal," she said at the round table.

Advocates and some sports bodies have increasingly pressed for clearer protections for pregnant athletes and mothers, including contract safeguards and medical and financial support during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Manchón's account adds to a string of athletes' testimonies that prompted policy changes at major brands and raised questions about how federations evaluate athletes during and after pregnancy.

Nike was contacted for comment on Manchón's new allegations. The company announced its maternity policy changes in 2019 and has previously issued statements committing to support for elite female athletes, but it had not responded publicly to Manchón's specific claims at the time of the round-table discussion.

Manchón said she remained committed to serving as an example to younger athletes that competing as a mother is possible, and she framed her return to elite sport as both a personal triumph and a challenge to how women are treated in competitive athletics after pregnancy.