Chinese badminton participant proposes to his girlfriend after successful gold

Chinese badminton star Huang Ya Qiong won gold – and a diamond – at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

After taking home the top spot in the badminton mixed doubles with partner Zheng Siwei on Friday, her boyfriend Liu Yuchen got down on one knee. 

Liu was waiting for Huang with flowers following the medal presentation, but surprised her when he dropped to the floor and pulled out a ring to propose. 

A visibly shocked Huang said yes to her partner, who is representing China in the badminton men’s doubles.

‘For me, the proposal is very surprising because I have been preparing for the game,’ Huang told reporters through an interpreter. 

Chinese badminton star Huang Ya Qiong was proposed to after she won a gold medal

Her boyfriend, Liu Yuchen, got down on one knee at the 2024 Paris Olympics

‘Today I am an Olympic champion and I got proposed (to), so that’s something I didn’t expect,’ the athlete added. 

She and Zheng beat South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun 21-8, 21-11 in mixed doubles to cap an unbeaten run in Paris. 

Huang and Zheng, silver medalists at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, went 3-0 in group play to earn the top seed in the quarterfinals. 

They finished the tournament 6-0 without losing a game in the proces 

China has won mixed doubles badminton gold at back-to-back Olympics and five out of eight times since it became a medal event in Atlanta in 1996. 

Wang Yilyu retired after winning gold in Tokyo with Huang Dong Ping, who teamed with Feng Yan Zhe in Paris and lost to Zheng and Huang in the quarterfinals.

The country is guaranteed women’s doubles badminton gold and silver. 

Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan will face Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in an all-China final on Saturday.

Huang and Zheng Siwei beat South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun in mixed doubles

‘Today I am an Olympic champion and I got proposed [to],’ she said to reporters