Spanish synchro swimmer and young mum Ona Carbonell set for Tokyo

Many athletes hoping to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics had their carefully constructed preparations torn to shreds by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the Games to be postponed until this year.

However, for Italian synchronised swimmer Ona Carbonell, the delay offered up an opportunity following the birth of her first child.

"After giving birth, my son, I start thinking maybe it is possible, the Olympics Games," she told SNTV. "At the beginning for me was like impossible because it’s less than one year after my son born. But finally we do a lot of meetings and I am here preparing for the qualifications and I hope the Olympic Games."

Carbonell competed at the 2012 London Olympics, where she won the silver medal in the women's duet with Andrea Fuentes, and a bronze medal in the team event.

At the Rio Games four years later she finished fourth in the women's duet with a different partner, Gemma Mengual.

Now she has the chance to take part at a third Olympiad, if she can get through the FINA Artistic Swimming Qualification Tournament in Barcelona between 10th and 13th June.

But she thinks that attitudes towards women in sport who want to have children have to change.

"I think the world of sport needs to rethink motherhood," She said. "The power of the women. We want to have our baby and continue our sport and fighting for our goals. I think we need more support and we need to make this situation a normal situation."