There Are 17 Couples Competing At The Olympics. Here's How Their Sports Helped Them Fall In Love
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Chinese badminton player Huang Ya Qiong did a joyful victory lap around the Porte de La Chapelle Arena after winning gold in the Paris Olympics' mixed doubles event. She smiled on the podium as she received her medal and a bouquet of flowers. Then, as she returned to her team, longtime boyfriend Liu Yuchen got down on one knee and popped the question. Huang was shocked—and said yes.
“For me, the proposal is very surprising because I have been preparing for the game,” she told the Associated Press, via an interpreter. “Today I am an Olympic champion and I got proposed [to], so that’s something I didn’t expect.”
Huang and Liu aren't the only ones taking advantage of the City of Love. Argentinian handball player Pablo Simonet surprised Maria Campoy, an Argentinian field hockey player, with a proposal while taking team photos. Plus, former Czech couple Thomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova won the mixed doubles tennis tournament together, making headlines for sharing a kiss during their celebration.
Beyond the proposals (and possible reunions), there are 15 other Olympic couples who get to compete beside (or against) their better halves on the world stage. Keep reading for everything to know about all the couples competing in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Noah Lyles & Junelle Bromfield
Noah Lyles, 27, and Junelle Bromfield, 26, are an elite track duo— even if they compete for opposing teams. Noah just became the fastest man in the world after winning gold in the men's 100m sprint for Team USA. Meanwhile, Junelle sprints for Jamaica and specializes in the 400m distance.
Junelle and Noah first connected in 2017 when Junelle "slid into his DMs," per a joint interview on the Fast Lane Lifestyle podcast. They connected virtually, then met up for an awkward date the following year. When they didn't click right away, Noah and Junelle stayed friends, reconnecting on a second date in 2022. Shortly after, they began officially dating, and have been together since.
Luana Silva & João Chianca
Luana Silva, 20, and João Chianca, 23, are a picture-perfect couple, both representing Brazil in surfing. They're both first-time Olympians, although João secured his spot in 2023 while Luana had to prove herself during the 2024 season, according to Olympics.com. They've been dating since 2023.
Hana Burzalova & Dominik Černý
Slovak race walkers Hana Burzalova, 23, and Dominik Černý, 26, have been a well-known couple since Dominik proposed to Hana at the end of the World Championships Race Walk in 2023. As Hana crossed the finish line of the 35-kilometer race in Budapest, Dominik got down on one knee, per Runner's World. This was just the cherry on top for Hana and Dominik, who both set season and personal best times at the event.
Elina Svitolina & Gael Monfils
Elina Svitolina, 29, and Gael Monfils, 37, are one of tennis' current power couples. Elina is a Ukrainian player who reached a career high-ranking of No.3, winning the country their first tennis medal with a bronze in Tokyo. Gael, meanwhile, is a French athlete who reached a career-high ranking of No.6 in the world and played in his fourth Olympics for the country. After making their relationship public in 2019, the two tied the knot in 2021. Elina gave birth to their daughter Skai in 2022, per Tennis 365.
Lea Schüller & Lara Vadlau
Lea Schüller, 26, and Lara Vadlau, 30, have been together since 2019. While they keep the details of their relationship pretty private, they occasionally post a cute selfie or workout video to Instagram.
First-time Olympian Lea is a German soccer player who plays as a forward for FC Bayern Münich, as well as for the country's national team. Lara, on the other hand, is a veteran Olympian. The Paris Games mark her third time sailing for Austria, where she is competing in the mixed dinghy event.
Rossella Fiamingo & Gregorio Paltrinieri
Rosella Fiamingo, 33, and Gregorio Paltrinieri, 29, are a gold-medal couple. Rosella is a three-time Olympic fencer who just earned gold in épée for Italy; Gregorio, meanwhile, is an Italian swimmer and former 1500m freestyle record holder.
The couple met at the Tokyo Olympics and have since gotten engaged. They love to push each other to be better, with both of them going for (and receiving) gold medals in Paris.
"We both knew we wanted these medals and tonight we wanted to come back with a medal each to celebrate. One wasn’t enough. We both wanted to be happy with our performances," Rosella told Olympics.com.
Gabriella Willems & Christian Parlati
Gabriella Willems, 27, and Christian Parlati, 26, are a pair of master-judoka (people who practice judo) competing in the Paris Olympic Games. This was Christian's second Olympics competing for Italy, while it's Gabriella's first representing Belgium. She just earned a bronze medal following a crushing injury before the Tokyo Games—the two countries even celebrated together when Gabriella won!
Lee Kiefer & Gerek Meinhardt
Lee Kiefer, 30, and Gerek Meinhardt, 34, began their relationship at the London 2012 Olympics and got married in 2019, according to Town & Country. This is Lee and Gerek's fourth and fifth Olympics competing in foil fencing for Team USA, respectively, but may also be their last.
"We're really proud that [we're still competing], to be honest. For most of our careers, we were the young ones—those surprising results, those people who they didn't see coming," Lee told Town & Country. "And then one day, it flips and you're the leaders on the team."
While they love their sport, the couple is also focusing on their career goals: becoming doctors. The couple has been attending medical school at the University of Kentucky, and will start their third year in spring 2025.
Huang Ya Qiong & Liu Yuchen
Chinese badminton players Huang Ya Qiong, 30, and Liu Yuchen, 29, are living out a Netflix-worthy Olympic love story. Three-time world champion Huang accepted a gold medal for China for mixed doubles and, as she descended from the podium, it became apparent she would be returning to China with more than a medal. Her long-time romantic partner Liu got down on one knee and popped the question, according to ESPN. Congrats to these two!
Katie Boulter & Alex de Minaur
Katie Boulter, 28, and Alex de Minaur, 25, are making their Olympic debut as a powerhouse tennis couple. Katie and Alex began dating in 2020 and have been navigating their diverging tennis schedules since, according to Olympics.com. Grand Slam events typically give them brief chances to spend time together, so they're loving the extra time in Paris, despite competing for different countries.
Katie is Britain's No.1 female tennis player in singles; Australian athlete Alex, meanwhile, hit a career high-ranking of No.7 in June after beating Novak Djokovic at the 2024 United Cup.
Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall
From high school to the Olympic Games, this couple has been through it all. Tara Davis-Woodhall, 25, and Hunter Woodhall, 25, began dating in 2017 after Hunter approached Tara at a high school track meet, according to Town & Country. And, despite being from different states and going to college separately, the two stayed together until they ultimately got married in October 2022.
Tara is a track and field athlete for Team USA specializing in the long jump. Hunter is also a track and field athlete, but in the Paralympics. During the Tokyo Games, he earned Team USA a bronze medal in the 400m. The couple feels lucky to be in the same sport, allowing them to spend more time together than many other Olympics couples (and chronicle their lives on social media).
"This sport has given us everything–the chance to travel the world and work together every day, so we have so much to be grateful for," Hunter told the Team USA media team in June.
Jasmine Moore and Joseph Fahnbulleh
Jasmine Moore, 23, and Joseph Fahnbulleh, 22, are yet another couple who met at the Tokyo Olympics. They're both track and field athletes, with Jasmine competing as a jumper for Team USA (she won bronze in the triple jump!) and Joseph racing as a sprinter for Liberia.
Jasmine was in the process of transferring to University of Florida during the Tokyo Olympics, where Joseph was already on the track & field team, so she approached him to make a friend before she arrived.
"We hung out in Tokyo the whole time, and then when I got to Florida, we hung out. And now we’re dating," Jasmine told People in August.
Manon Apithy-Brunet & Boladé Apithy
Manon Apithy-Brunet, 28, and Boladé Apithy, 38, are a super-cute fencing couple from France. Manon just won gold in individual sabre—her third medal overall. Boladé is also heading home with some hardware following the French sabre team's bronze medal showing. The couple married in 2021.
Anneli Maley & Marena Whittle
Not only are Anneli Maley, 25, and Marena Whittle, 30, both representing Australia at the 2024 Olympics, but they're playing side by side in the country's first women's 3x3 basketball team. Not only are the newly-engaged couple are excited to be representing Australia together, but they're also excited to show queer love to people around the world.
"It's about getting to create something that is normal and to have visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community," Anneli told Courier Mail. "Some young ones may be afraid to stay something [about their sexuality], so hopefully seeing us at the Olympics can put them at ease."
Maria Campoy & Pablo Simonet
Another Olympic couple to get engaged in Paris, Pablo Simonet, 32, surprised fellow Argentinian Maria Campoy, 34, by popping the question while taking team photos. The Argentinian handball team and field hockey teams were taking a photo together when Pablo broke out of the group to get down on one knee.
"The woman in my life gave me a 'yes' 🤩 ❤️," Pablo wrote in Spanish in the caption of an Instagram post announcing the couple's engagement. "Thank you friends, and few accomplices, for making this special and for being to allow us to have this forever. Paris is always a good idea 💍❤️ "
Maria and Pablo have been together since 2015, according to Olympics.com, and competed together in Rio in 2016.
Maddie Davidson & Dylan Schmidt
Maddie Davidson, 25, and Dylan Schmidt, 27, both attended the Tokyo Olympics as a trampolinists for New Zealand, and are returning to the Olympics in Paris as a couple. Dylan became New Zealand's first gymnastics medalist when he won bronze at the last Olympics, but Maddie did not medal despite being the first female from New Zealand to qualify for the event.
While the couple enjoys traveling to competitions together, they're all business for the trip to Paris.
"We're not going to be kicking and screaming if we're not rooming together," Dylan told Reuters in April. "We're not there for a holiday."
Ana Carolina Da Silva & Anne Buijs
Ana Carolina Da Silva, 33, and Anne Buijs, 32, are volleyball players for Team Brazil and Team Netherlands, respectively. They got married in March 2023 after dating for seven years, according to BHAZ. This is Ana Carolina's first Olympics, while Anne came in fourth with the Dutch team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
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