Two Olympians Propose to Their Girlfriends During Paris Games: Photos That Bring Tears to Eyes

On Friday, August 2, Paris proved why it is widely known as the city of love. During the Paris Olympics, Chinese badminton player Liu Yuchen got down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend and fellow badminton player, Huang Ya Qiong. American shot putter Payton Otterdahl also proposed to his girlfriend Maddy Nilles on August 5.

Riding the high of scoring the first badminton gold medal of the Paris Olympic Games with her teammate Zheng Siwei, Huang did not expect that she would leave the competition as a new fiancée.

After winning in the mixed doubles event against the Republic of Korea’s Seo Seungjae and Chae Yujung 21-8 and 21-11, Liu surprised Huang with a beautiful engagement ring.

The gold medal winner had been walking around the arena, celebrating, greeting, and waving at fans after the medal ceremony when Liu popped up to congratulate her with a lovely bouquet of flowers.

Surrounded by the loud cheers from viewers at the La Chapelle Arena, Liu made his move. A video shared on TikTok shows Huang, overcome with emotion and with tears in her eyes, as she was asked for her hand in marriage.

After getting over her initial shock, Huang agreed to marry Liu, who then delicately placed the diamond engagement ring on her ring finger before kissing her hand.

The happy couple then shared a tender hug and Liu grabbed Huang’s hand to hold it up for the flashing cameras as the duo posed for photos.

Swooning over both her win and surprise engagement, Huang gushed, “I cannot describe the feeling I have because I am happy, happy, happy. Getting the gold medal is recognition of our journey. I was surprised by the engagement ring.”

Continuing, she explained, “I’ve been focusing on training to become an Olympic champion. I never expected it.” Huang added that as of yet, she hasn’t thought of how she will celebrate the joyous occasion.

Buzzing with excitement, both Huang and Liu took to their own Instagram accounts to boast about their commitment to each other. One image that Liu posted showed the couple posing for a picture at the event with Huang holding her hand up to show off her new ring.

Another displayed an adorable cartoon drawing of the moment he proposed to Huang. His accompanying caption, which is written in Mandarin, translates to “2024.8.2. Olympic mixed doubles champion she said she would! 💍 💍.”

Huang shared a carousel post of nine images displaying the heartwarming proposal. In addition to the cover picture Liu shared, Huang published photos of her beau holding the ring box open for her and placing the ring on her finger.

Other images she shared showed close-up photos of the ring and more tender moments shared between the couple. “I said yes💍 Thanks for making my day ❤️ @liuyuchen88888,” penned Huang in her caption.

Since their engagement, Huang has shared additional posts highlighting how much she and Liu can’t wait to get married.

On August 4, Huang shared a compilation video showing her and Liu posing for photos in front of the Eiffel Tower. She wore a white veil and Yuchen carried a white flower bouquet. “it’s getting real 🥰,” expressed Huang alongside the video.

Later that same day (August 4), Huang shared another video on TikTok of the same photoshoot she and Liu had in Paris. In this video, Huang is seen peppering Liu’s cheek with sweet kisses after the pair shared a passionate kiss on the lips.

Joining Liu and Huang as a newly engaged couple who got betrothed during the Olympics are Team USA shot putter Payton Otterdahl and his now-fiancée Maddy Nilles.

Standing in front of the Eiffel Tower and on the streets of Paris, Otterdahl proposed to Nilles. Taking to Instagram, the olympian shared a carousel of endearing photos showing the beautiful moment he asked for Nilles’ hand in marriage.

Nilles’ excitement is palpable through the screen with her wide smile and giddy body language. Dressed in casual clothes and unfazed by the looming eyes of citizens on the street, Otterdahl promised forever to his beloved.

Expressing his deep love for Nilles in his caption, Otterdahl swooned, “Meanwhile, in the City of Love… I love you forever, Maddy Nilles! @maddynilles27 ❤️.”

Before popping the question, Otterdahl showed off his physical prowess during the first round of the shot put event at the Paris Games, where he earned fourth place. He nearly came in third but was bested by Rajindra Campbell and Joe Kovacs by 0.88 meters.

While fourth place is certainly not bad, Otterdahl feels differently. “That’s just the reality of fourth place – it doesn’t feel good. I’m not pleased with the performance, but it is what it is. I wish we could have made it a sweep – we were close, but not close enough,” he remarked.

Regardless of how Otterdahl feels about his recent performance, he at least has something exciting to look forward to with his recent engagement. Congratulations to him, Nilles, Liu, and Huang! We wish both couples nothing but the best in their journeys together.