Chinese divers get engaged on Olympic medal stage

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Chinese diver Qin Kai proposes to silver medalist He Zi of China on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Diving 3m Springboard Final on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images, via VCG)

Chinese Olympic diver He Zi received the shock of her life when teammate and boyfriend Qin Kai rushed up with a diamond ring during the medal ceremony of the women’s 3-meter springboard event, marking the second marriage proposal at the Olympics.

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CCTV’s Roee Ruttenberg reports.

Qin, who won a bronze medal in his own synchronized diving event last week, climbed up to the stage Sunday local time after He received her silver medal and got down on one knee while holding a red box with the ring as well as a glass-encased rose.

“I didn’t know he would propose today and I didn’t expect myself to marry myself out so early,” He said after she tearfully accepted the proposal with a big hug.

“I saw him during the afternoon and he seemed to be memorizing something, so I asked him ‘what are you doing?’ and he said he was singing,” she told reporters.

“I’ve forgotten most of what he’s said (during the proposal), but it’s largely what you can expect like promises, but what touched me the most is that he said he was willing to be bullied by me for life,” she said.

The 25-year-old has been dating the 30-year-old Qin for the past six years.

Shi Tingmao, speaking to reporters after her gold medal win in the same event, said she had knew about the proposal before the event.

“I’m really happy for them, because these years, be it career or relationships-wise, they have had to face a lot of pressure,” she said.

Last week Brazilian women’s rugby player Isadora Cerullo accepted a marriage proposal from her girlfriend at the medals ceremony for the first Olympic rugby sevens competition.

Story by Reuters