‘COULDN’T BE MORE PERFECT’

Watch: Olympian Is Leaving Paris With Gold Medal—and an Engagement Ring

Huang Yaqiong said yes—just minutes after she won gold for China in the badminton mixed doubles event.

Huang Yaqiong won gold in badminton mixed doubles on Friday, but that won’t be the only major memory she takes with her from the Paris Games.

Just minutes after she clinched her first gold medal, her boyfriend—fellow Chinese badminton athlete Liu Yuchen—handed her flowers, then got down on one knee and pulled out a ring.

Yaqiong, 30, put her hand to her mouth in shock and did a quick spin as she appeared to fight back tears. Yuchen, 29, popped the question and Yaqiong replied while wiping her eyes and holding flowers. He then placed the ring on her finger.

The couple then shared an embrace, which was captured by the event’s broadcast cameras and photographers. They hung around another minute to pose for more snaps with both her engagement ring and gold medal on display.

Photos of Yuchen before the proposal appeared to show him smiling ear-to-ear while he held a bouquet of flowers.

Yaqiong won silver during the Tokyo Games in mixed doubles. Her fiancé also participated in those games in the men’s doubles competition, where he and his partner also won silver. Yuchen did not qualify for the Paris Games.

Olympics fans online were shocked and delighted to witness a proposal live, celebrating the couple in countless posts.

In a translated interview posted to social media, Yaqiong expressed her joy at winning gold and becoming engaged on the same afternoon.

“It made me cry again,” she said. “While winning the championship, I also took a step forward in another stage of my life. This summer couldn’t be more perfect. Now I am so happy that I am at a loss for words.”

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Josh FialloBreaking News Reporter

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