Romance at Paris Olympics 2024: China gold medal winner gets ’surprise’ marriage proposal soon after victory | Watch

It was not less than a dream come true for Chinese badminton player Huang Yaqiong, who won gold at the Paris Olympics 2024 in the mixed doubles event. The Olympic gold medallist reached cloud nine when her teammate, men’s doubles Tokyo silver medallist Liu Yuchen, proposed to her minutes after she stepped off the podium.

The video of Liu Yuchen bending on his knee to propose to Huang Yaqiong has gone viral on the internet and has earned massive praise on social media.

Chinese Olympian Liu Yuchen proposed to Huang Ya Qiong after she won gold🏅🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/LOqeAKW8HR

— Pubity (@pubity) August 2, 2024

The viral video perfectly captures Huang’s expression from happiness to surprise when she sees Zheng Siwei holding a bouquet in his hand. What happened seconds later left Huang in complete disbelief and sheer happiness. Amid loud cheer, her teammate took out a small box from his pocket and sat on his knee to propose to Huang. After taking some time to savour the moment, Huang accepted Liu’s ring, containing a sizeable diamond which sparkled up close later during a press conference.

Huang and her mixed doubles partner Zheng Siwei demolished South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun 21-8 21-11 to win the badminton mixed doubles final at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.

Huang, who also won a mixed doubles silver in Tokyo with Zheng, looked shocked as spectators went wild, before smiling shyly and accepting Liu’s ring, containing a sizeable diamond which sparkled up close later during a press conference.

“The proposal was very surprising because I’d been preparing for the game,” said a glowing Huang.

“The ring fits my finger really well,” she added, with a laugh.

Fans took to social media to gush about the proposal, with one writing on Weibo: “This year’s medal count can now include a diamond ring.”

“Liu Yuchen didn’t win the Olympic gold medal but he did win over an Olympic gold medallist,” another wrote.

Liu’s and Huang’s engagement is not the first time a Chinese Olympian has been proposed to, still fresh from the fight.

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.

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.

(Reporting by Richa Naidu; editing by Clare Fallon)