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Elizabeth Poblete, shown competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, went into labor while training.
Elizabeth Poblete, 22, felt ill while working out Dec. 8 in a gym in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she lives, the Daily Telegraph said Tuesday, citing the Brazilian Web site Globo.com. A doctor was hastily called, and Poblete gave birth to a boy.
Mother and son were both taken to a hospital. The baby boy, named Eric Jose, was about three months premature. He remained in intensive care, the BBC reported.
Doctors said Poblete must have been about six months pregnant. The strict diet and stringent exercise regimen observed by female weightlifters can cause irregular menstruation, which would explain why the birth was a "complete surprise," according to the head trainer at the gym.
Poblete came in 12th in the 75-kilogram women's category at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
