Paris 2024, love in competition: couples at the Olympics

Australia was the go-between. Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrinek, both tennis players, met in Sydneyduring the 2000 Olympics, and among them was immediately understood: a flirtation that the iconic champion, at the time a 19-year-old rising star, carried on for two weeks, before to throw oneself with a kiss – at the suggestion of a Swiss wrestler with whom she shared the retreat. The two, even though she had abandoned the activity two years later due to an injury, they became inseparableand together they gave birth to two sets of twins.

Similar story that of Gregory Paltrinieri And Rossella Fleminghe a swimmer and she a fencer, who Tokyo Games, in 2021, they deepened their knowledge: «We talked for hours and hours“, revealed the athlete from Emilia. “One thing very strange for me, who before the races I retreat to my space and I can say very few words“. This year they will go to Paris officially as a couple, just like they have already done – and will do again – Elia Viviani And Elena Cecchiniboth cyclists, life companions for over ten years and got married in 2022.

Among the blues in love, the story of the sabre-swordsman stands out Luigi Samelewho in 2022 led up to Budapest to bring his girlfriend back to Italy Olga Kharlan, she too was a swordsman, who in the meantime had escaped from war in Ukraine together with his sister and nephew. The couple formed by the swimmer also comes from Ukraine Misha Romanchuk and from the long jumper Maryna Beck: “If I hadn’t gone to train abroad,” he revealed, “I probably would have I would have retired from swimming to get a gun and going to war».

Among the official couples who will go to Paris, four tennis players stand out: Alex De Minaur-Katie Boulter And Gael Monfils – Elina Svitolinathe latter will also be able to count on the support of their little daughter Skai. Then space for the Americans Gerek Meindhart And Lee Kiefer, fencing veterans: “Fencing Power Couple”, they write on Instagram in the margin of a tender video. The photo of the long jumper is also beautiful Tara Davis together with her husband Hunter Woodhallparalympic sprinter: «Yes are going to Paris», we read in the caption with word pun.

In short, between engagements, weddings and love at first sight, it couldn’t be missed a marriage proposal at the foot of an Olympic podium: it was Rio 2016, at the end of a three-meter diving competition Qin Kai he kneels before his sweetheart, He Zi, who with the silver medal around his neck answers him Yes. Five-ring love, therefore, which even involved the royal families: give Gustav of Swedenwho met his wife Silvia at the Games of Munich ’72to the prince Frederik of Denmark, who fell in love with Mary Donaldson in Sydney 2000.

The same edition in which he also participated Charlene Wittstocka swimmer in the South African relay team, who on that occasion made the Prince Albert. The first appearance together? Six years later, in Turin. Obviously at the Olympics, this time winter.