Olympics 2024: Huang Ya Qiong Wins Olympic Gold And Receives Surprise Proposal in Paris

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Chinese shuttler Huang Ya Qiong experienced a golden moment at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Friday (August 2). She and her partner Zheng Siwei triumphed over South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun to clinch a gold medal in mixed doubles event.

After securing the gold medal with scores of 21-8, 21-11 in the mixed doubles final, Huang received a wedding proposal from Li Yuchen, another member of China's badminton team.

"For me, the proposal is very surprising because I have been preparing for the game," Huang said through an interpreter. "Today I am an Olympic champion and I got proposed (to), so that's something I didn't expect."

China's Dominance in Mixed Doubles

China has consistently excelled in mixed doubles badminton at the Olympics. They have now won gold in consecutive 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 up with Feng Yan Zhe in Paris but lost to Zheng and Huang in the quarterfinals.

Huang and Zheng, who were silver medalists at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, went undefeated throughout the tournament. They went 3-0 in group play to secure the top seed for the quarterfinals and finished with a perfect 6-0 record without dropping a game.

Reflecting on their journey, Zheng said he got engaged three years ago after losing in the final and considers this experience better for his partner.

The Chinese team is also set to dominate women's doubles badminton. Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan will compete against Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in an all-China final on Saturday, ensuring both gold and silver medals for China.

Zheng shared his thoughts on their dual achievements: "I think it must be happier for her," he said. "Last time it was purely for my proposal, but this time is basically double lucky things happening at the same time."

The success of China's badminton players continues to highlight their dominance on the world stage. With multiple medals already secured, they remain a formidable force in international competitions.