China’s Huang Ya Qiong walked into Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Tuesday with her badminton mixed doubles partner Zheng Si Wei hoping for a gold medal. She left with the medal and a diamond ring.
After the medal ceremony, Huang’s boyfriend, Liu Yu Chen, a Chinese badminton player competing at the Paris Games, was waiting for her with flowers and a surprise. He waved Huang over to him before handing her the flowers and getting down on one knee.
Liu proposed to Huang, who said yes and that she was “surprised by the engagement ring.”
“I haven’t thought about how we will celebrate,” Huang said.
(Photo: Arun Sankar / AFP via Getty Images)
Huang and Zheng beat South Korea’s Kim Won Ho and Jeong Na Eun in two games (21-8, 21-11) for the gold medal.
Huang and Zheng, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, went 3-0 in group play to earn the top seed in the quarterfinals. There, they ousted fellow Chinese badminton duo Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping (21-16, 21-15) to make the semifinals, where Huang and Zheng again won in straight sets (21-14, 21-15).
Huang and Zheng finished the tournament at 6-0 to secure the first badminton gold handed out at the Games.
“I cannot describe the feeling I have because I am too happy, happy and happy,” Huang said. “Getting the gold medal is recognition of our journey.”
Japan’s Watanabe Yuta and Higashino Arisa defended their bronze medal from Tokyo after beating South Korea’s Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung (21-13, 22-20) in the mixed doubles.
Yu Chen, Huang’s new fiancé, has a medal to show for himself. He won silver in the men’s doubles competition in Tokyo.
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(Photo: Arun Sankar / AFP via Getty Images)
