Love stories are not uncommon at the Olympics, where athletes from around the world come together to compete in their respective sports. These 17 couples found romance through their shared love of sports and have created lasting relationships that have stood the test of time.
Noah Lyles, the fastest man in the world, and Junelle Bromfield, an elite sprinter from Jamaica, first connected in 2017 and began officially dating in 2022 after an awkward first date. Luana Silva and João Chianca, both surfers from Brazil, have been dating since 2023, with João securing his spot in the Olympics in 2023 while Luana had to prove herself during the 2024 season.
Hana Burzalova and Dominik Černý, Slovak race walkers, have been a well-known couple since Dominik proposed to Hana at the World Championships Race Walk in 2023. Elina Svitolina, a Ukrainian tennis player, and Gael Monfils, a French athlete, tied the knot in 2021 and welcomed their daughter Skai in 2022.
Lea Schüller, a German soccer player, and Lara Vadlau, an Austrian sailor, have been together since 2019. Rosella Fiamingo, an Olympic fencer, and Gregorio Paltrinieri, an Italian swimmer, met at the Tokyo Olympics and got engaged.
Gabriella Willems, a judoka from Belgium, and Christian Parlati, a judoka from Italy, celebrated together after Gabriella won a bronze medal. Lee Kiefer and Gerek Meinhardt, both foil fencers from Team USA, began their relationship at the London 2012 Olympics and got married in 2019. They are also attending medical school together.
Huang Ya Qiong and Liu Yuchen, Chinese badminton players, got engaged after Huang accepted a gold medal for mixed doubles. Katie Boulter, a British tennis player, and Alex de Minaur, an Australian tennis player, have been dating since 2020 and are competing in the Olympics together.
Tara Davis-Woodhall, a track and field athlete, and Hunter Woodhall, a Paralympic track and field athlete, got married in October 2022 after dating since 2017. Jasmine Moore, a jumper from Team USA, and Joseph Fahnbulleh, a sprinter from Liberia, began dating after meeting at the Tokyo Olympics.
Manon Apithy-Brunet, a fencer, and Boladé Apithy, a fencer, won medals at the Paris Olympics and got married in 2021. Anneli Maley and Marena Whittle, both 3×3 basketball players from Australia, are excited to represent their country and show queer love to the world.
Maria Campoy and Pablo Simonet, both from Argentina, got engaged in Paris while competing in handball and field hockey. Maddie Davidson and Dylan Schmidt, trampolinists from New Zealand, are returning to the Olympics as a couple. Ana Carolina Da Silva, a volleyball player from Brazil, and Anne Buijs, a volleyball player from the Netherlands, got married in March 2023 after dating for seven years.
These couples have found love in the midst of competition and have shown that love knows no boundaries, even at the Olympics. Their relationships have added an extra layer of excitement and joy to their Olympic journeys, proving that sometimes the greatest prize of all is finding love on the world’s biggest stage.