2024 Olympics: Athletes Who are Making History in Paris!
Huang Yaqiong got something extra special with her gold medal at the 2024 Olympics.
After winning the top prize with her badminton mixed doubles partner Zheng Siwei in Paris on Aug. 2, the Team China Olympian found herself saying “Yes” to a very important question as fellow teammate Liu Yuchen got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
“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 had tears in her eyes as she accepted the proposal while fans at the La Chapelle Arena cheered them on. And as Huang explained, she had no idea it was coming.
“I was surprised by the engagement ring,” she continued. “I’ve been focusing on training to become an Olympic champion. I never expected it.”
As for what she and Liu will do now? That remains to be seen, as she added, “I haven’t thought about how we will celebrate.”
Huang and Zheng previously took home the silver medal for badminton at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after which Zheng also became engaged. However, he thinks that that Huang had a much better outcome.
Luis TATO / AFP
“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 is basically double lucky things happening at the same time.”
But Huang and Liu aren’t the only couple to get engaged during this year’s Olympics Games. Argentina’s men’s handball player Pablo Simonet also proposed to girlfriend, Maria Campoy—a member of the country’s women’s hockey team—in the Olympic Village before the Games began, according to Olympics.com.
ARUN SANKAR / AFP
“The woman of my life gave me the yes,” Pablo wrote on Instagram July 24, translated from Spanish. “In the dream place, where everything came from and where we fought so much to be.”
The duo have been together since 2015, and even competed alongside each other at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
For more of the most incredible and emotional moments during the 2024 Paris Olympics, keep reading.
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Aug. 1: Gymnastics
USA gymnast Simone Biles beams after winning gold in the women’s all-around final, sporting her “GOAT” necklace.
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Aug. 1: Tennis
Great Britain’s Andy Murray—who announced his retirement before the Paris Games—tearfully bids farewell to the crowd after being eliminated alongside Dan Evans in the men’s doubles.
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Aug. 1: Table Tennis
Tomokazu Harimoto of Team Japan lets off some steam during his match against China’s Fan Zhendong.
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Aug. 1: Swimming
Men’s 200m backstroke silver medalist Apostolos Christou of Greece gets emotional while standing on the podium.
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Aug. 1: Tennis
Spanish tennis Carlos Alcaraz lets out a victorious scream after defeating Tommy Paul of Team USA in men’s single.
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July 31: Diving
Great Britain’s bronze medalists Andrea Spendolini Sirieix and Lois Toulson share a raw moment after the women’s synchronized 10m platform diving final.
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July 31: Soccer
Korbin Albert gets emotional after scoring a goal in the women’s soccer game.
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July 31: Swimming
Team Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem celebrates her gold medal in the Women’s 100m Freestyle Final.
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July 31: Swimming
Team USA’s Katie Ledecky reacts to winning gold in the Women’s 1500m Freestyle Final.
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July 31: Swimming
French swimmer Anastasiia Kirpichnikova cries tears of joy after seeing her silver medal-winning time in women’s 1500m freestyle event.
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July 31: Judo
Serbia’s Nemanja Majdov (L) and Greece’s Theodoros Tselidis (R) share a moment after their round in the men’s 90kg round of 16 in judo. Tselildis, who beat Majdov, later won the bronze medal.
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July 31: Sabre
Manon Apithy-Brunet (L) kisses her husband France’s Bolade Apithy after his team beat Egypt.
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July 31: Triathalon
Gold medalist Alex Yee of Team Great Britain and silver medalist Hayden Wilde of Team New Zealand share a subtle celebratory moment after crossing the finish line.
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July 31: Rugby
Team New Zealand leaps for joy after beating Canada in the Women’s Rugby Sevens Gold medal match.
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July 31: Field Hockey
Agustina Gorzelany of Team Argentina celebrates her team’s first goal in a match against Spain. Argentina ended up winning the match 2-1.
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July 31: Shooting
Team Guatemala’s Adriana Ruano Oliva gets emotional after realizing she’s won the gold medal—her country’s very first—in the shooting trap women’s final.
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July 30: Tennis
Andy Murray and Dan Evans of Great Britain embrace in celebration after besting Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen of Team Belgium in Men’s Doubles second round match.
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July 30: Swimming
Great Britain’s Tom Dean celebrates, along with fellow teammates, after his win in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
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July 30: Gymnastics
Simone Biles expresses elation after securing the gold medal for Team USA in the women’s gymnastics team final, making her the most decorated gymnast in history.
Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP
July 30: Gymnastics
Team Italy reacts after finishing the women’s gymnastics all around team final with a silver medal.
PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
July 30: Tennis
Coco Gauff listens to a call made against her during a July 30 match against Croatia’s Donna Vekic. The controversial line correction ended the tennis champion’s run in the 2024 Olympics.
RITCHIE B TONGO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
July 30: Tennis
Jasmine Paolini reacts during her match with Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. She lost the match, exiting the games.
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July 30: Pistol Shooting
Serbian sports shooter Zorana Arunovic kisses her gold medal—her first time medaling in the sport after competing in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
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July 29: Gymnastics
Kazuma Kaya and the rest of Team Japan celebrate after earning a gold medal for the artistic gymnastics men’s team final. They were followed by Team China with silver, and Team USA with bronze.
Bertrand GUAY / AFP
July 29: Canoe Slalom
Adam Burgess of Great Britain celebrates after completing his event. His team took home a silver and bronze medal for canoe slalom, a sport that sees competitors navigate a whitewater course.
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July 29: Badminton
Team Malaysia’s Tang Jie Chen and Ee Wei Toh celebrate after beating China during the mixed doubles play stage.
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July 29: Gymnastics
Asher Hong of Team USA celebrates after completing the vault at the men’s team final. He placed 9th in his event, and helped earn the Team USA men’s gymnastics team a bronze medal.
Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
July 29: Sabre
French fencer Manon Apithy-Brunet reacts after beating South Korea’s Choi Se-bin in the women’s semifinal bout.
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July 29: Tennis
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic holds up his racket in celebration after defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain in a second round match of the Men’s Singles tournament.
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July 29: Basketball
Ezinne Kalu and the rest of Team Nigeria celebrate their win against Team Australia.
Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics daily on NBC and Peacock until the summer games end with the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
