Rio 2016: Love blooms at Olympics

U.K. race walker Tom Bosworth proposes to his boyfriend Harry Dineley at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Tom Bosworth’s Twitter

By Park Si-soo, Park Jae-hyuk

Several athletes have given their lives a whole new meaning during the Rio Olympics. And it has not essentially been related to a much-anticipated victory and subsequent medal, a reward for their hard work over the past four years.

Here, some athletes have marked it with something special: finding their lifetime partner.

So far, three couples have been born in Rio. Among them are four participating athletes ― U.K. race walker Tom Bosworth, Chinese divers Qin Kai and He Zi and Brazilian rugby player Isadora Cerullo.

Bosworth proposed to his boyfriend Harry Dineley while strolling along a Rio beach on Wednesday. He celebrated his successful proposal through Twitter and it has gone viral.

Bosworth posted a picture of the moment and wrote: “He said YES!!!” Dineley retweeted a picture of his finger with the ring and wrote: “OK then.”

Qin Kai successfully proposed to his teammate and lover He Zi on Monday. Brazilian rugby player Isadora Cerullo got a marriage offer from her partner Marjorie Enya, a Rio Olympics organization committee staffer.