Paris Olympics 2024: It's a double! Chinese badminton player wins a gold medal and a diamond engagement ring
Day eight of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 witnessed some off-court drama on Friday after the finals of the badminton mixed doubles. The Chinese pair of Huang Yaqiong and Zheng Siwei won the gold, beating South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun 21-8, 21-11 in just 41 minutes.
Surprise after medal ceremony?
But what followed the medal ceremony was not something many saw coming. As Huang climbed down off the podium for a victory lap, she was greeted by her boyfriend, Liu Yuchen.
Also read:?Brazilian swimmer sneaks out of Olympic Village to meet boyfriend, sent home immediately
The men's doubles player, who won silver in Tokyo three years ago and exited in the group stage in Paris, first presented Huang with a bunch of flowers. Then, to Huang's surprise, Liu pulled out a diamond ring and proposed to her, getting down on one knee, much to the delight of the Chinese fans.
'Olympic champion and engaged'
Huang said the proposal was "very surprising."
"I had been preparing for the match," said the 30-year-old, showing off her ring to reporters. "Today, I became an Olympic champion and I got engaged. I think the ring fits my finger really well."
Previous proposals at Olympics
Liu's and Huang's engagement is not the first time a Chinese Olympian has been proposed to shortly after competing. In Rio, diver He Zi had just received a silver medal for the women's three-metre springboard when her boyfriend and fellow medalled diver Qin Kai asked her to marry him.
Also read:?American athlete on what it's like to use Tinder inside the Olympic Village
In the Olympic sailing competition in Marseille earlier on Friday, French women's skiff sailors Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon returned ashore from winning a bronze medal to find their respective partners waiting to go down on one knee and propose.
For more news and current affairs?from around the world, please visit?Indiatimes News.
