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, Ya Qiong 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, Yuchen surprised Ya Qiong 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 Yuchen popped up to congratulate her with a lovely bouquet of flowers.

Surrounded by the loud cheers from viewers at the La Chapelle Arena, Yuchen made his move. A video shared on TikTok shows how overcome with emotion Ya Qiong, who had tears in her eyes, was upon being asked for her hand in marriage.

After getting over her initial shock, Ya Qiong agreed to marry Yuchen, who then delicately placed the diamond engagement ring on her ring finger before placing a loving kiss on her hand.

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

Swooning over both her win and surprise engagement, Ya Qiong 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.” Ya Qiong then added that as of yet, she hasn’t thought of how she will celebrate the joyous occasion.

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

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

Ya Qiong shared a carousel post of nine images displaying the heartwarming proposal. In addition to the cover picture Yuchen shared, Ya Qiong 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 Ya Qiong in her caption.

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

On August 4, Ya Qiong shared a compilation video showing her and Yuchen 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 Ya Qiong alongside the video.

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

Joining Yuchen and Ya Qiong 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 putter event at the Paris Games, where he earned fourth place. He nearly came third overall in that round 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 new engagement. Congratulations to him, Nilles, Yuchen, and Ya Qiong! We wish both couples nothing but the best in their journeys together.