Watch: China’s Liu Yuchen Goes Viral for Proposing Teammate Huang Yaqiong for Marriage After Winning Gold Medal

In the city of Love, Chinese Olympic badminton player, Huang Yaqiong got a proposal from a teammate on live TV after winning gold!

By Natasha Bose

Published on Aug 03, 2024 | 11:48 AM IST | 61.8K

Chinese Shuttler Proposes to His Gold Medal-Winning Girlfriend in Paris

Imagine winning gold at the Olympics and then, as your lover gets down on one knee under the iconic Eiffel Tower in the city of love, asking you to be their 'forever'. This magical scene became a reality for Chinese women’s badminton player Huang Yaqiong on Friday.

Yaqiong, paired with Zheng Siwei, secured the gold in the badminton mixed doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeating South Korea’s Kim Wonho and Jeong Naeun (21-8, 21-11). After the medal ceremony, fellow Chinese badminton player Liu Yuchen had a special surprise for her.

Liu, a silver medalist in the men’s doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a competitor in the men’s doubles at these Games, pulled out a ring, got down on one knee, and proposed.

With a heartfelt declaration, Liu said, "I’ll love you forever! Will you marry me?" and Huang joyfully replied, "Yes!"

"I cannot describe the feeling I have because I am happy, happy, happy," Huang told Olympics.com. "Getting the gold medal is recognition of our journey."

The 30-year-old accepted the proposal with tears in her eyes, while fans at the La Chapelle Arena cheered them on. Huang had no clue about the surprise.

"I was surprised by the engagement ring," she continued. "I've been focusing on training to become an Olympic champion. I never expected it."

When asked about their future plans, she added, "I haven't thought about how we will celebrate."

Huang and Zheng had previously won a silver medal for badminton at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Zheng also got engaged. He believes Huang had a more exciting outcome.

"I think it must be happier for her," he said, according to the Associated Press. "Last time it was purely for my proposal, but this time it is basically double lucky things happening at the same time."

Huang and Liu aren't the only couple to get engaged during this year's Olympics. Argentina's men's handball player, Pablo Simonet, proposed to his girlfriend, Maria Campoy—a member of the country's women's hockey team—in the Olympic Village before the Games began, as reported by Olympics.com.

Also, this isn't the first time a Chinese Olympian has been proposed to at the Games. In Rio, diver He Zi had just received a silver medal for the women’s three-meter springboard when her boyfriend, fellow medalist diver Qin Kai, asked her to marry him.

Earlier on Friday, French women’s skiff sailors Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon, after winning a bronze medal in the Olympic sailing competition in Marseille, returned ashore to find their partners waiting to propose.

Love—and winning—is certainly in the air!