Accepting a silver medal on the Olympic podium would be memorable for any athlete; but accepting a marriage proposal moments after accepting that medal is especially monumental.
Chinese diver He Zi was shocked when boyfriend, fellow Chinese diver Qin Kai, walked onto the podium during the medal ceremony, got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage.
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“I didn’t expect this at all,” He told reporters during a press conference. “I feel it is too soon to get married and to get a proposal.”
Luckily for Qin, who won a bronze medal himself during in the men’s three-metre synchronized springboard event, she said yes. After a short exchange of words, and a hug from his new fiancee, he let everyone know with a jubilant thumbs up.
“We’ve been dating for six years, but I didn’t expect him to propose today,” He said, according to BBC. “He said a lot of things, made a lot of promises, but I think the thing that touched me the most is I think this is the guy I can trust for the rest of my life.”
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Fellow Chinese diver Shi Tingmao won gold during the event.
Love appears to be a common theme at the Rio 2016 games. Brazilian women’s rugby player Isadora Cerullo received the surprise of a lifetime after her girlfriend proposed to her on-field at Rio’s Deodoro Stadium last week.
READ MORE: Brazilian rugby player says ‘yes’ to surprise marriage proposal from her girlfriend
Following Australia’s win over New Zealand in the first women’s rugby sevens event in Olympic history, Cerullo’s partner, 28-year-old Marjorie Enya, walked onto the field and asked Cerullo to marry her. Cerullo said ‘yes’ and the happy couple sealed the announcement with a kiss in front of cheering athletes, fans, and stadium workers.
Ashton Eaton, the American husband of Canadian bronze medal winner Brianne Theisen-Eaton, also showed that love conquers all while wearing a hat with ‘Canada’ written on the front to support his wife.
Eaton faced harsh criticism from U.S. fans, some calling him a “traitor” for dawning the maple leaf, but fought back in support of his wife.
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