One couple won medals less than an hour apart from each other, while two other pairs made their Olympic debuts together.
It takes many years of hard work and dedication to make it to the Olympics. From training to endless workout sessions to traveling to competitions around the world, these athletes are always on the move. But if they’re lucky, they find a little love along the way! There are actually quite a few Olympians who have fallen in love with their fellow competitors — whether it’s in the same sport or something entirely different. And no matter what happens on the field or in the gym, these star athletes know they always have someone cheering for them in the stands!
Read on to find out what couples made it to the Olympics…
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1. Katie Boulter & Alex De Minaur
This year, Britain’s Katie Boulter and Australia’s Alex De Minaur made their Olympic tennis debut in Paris. The couple has been dating since March 2020 after they met while staying in the same hotel. Katie explained that she had heard Alex was a “good, humble” guy through mutual friends and after having coffee together, she knew she was “in it for the long haul.”
“I couldn’t ask for any better, he’s the best support I’ve got,” Katie told Tatler, later adding, “We’re on the same wavelength when it comes to our priorities, tennis is where we want to be and the rest will follow.”
Unfortunately, Alex was forced to drop out in the opening round of singles because of a hip injury. He went on to compete in the doubles event, but he and his partner were defeated in first round.
Katie lost in her first round of the women’s singles, but made it to the quarterfinals in doubles, before she and her partner later lost to Italy.
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2. Lara Vadlau & Lea Schüller
German soccer player Lea Schüller has been dating Austrian sailor Lara Vadlau since 2019. While this marks Lara’s third time at the Olympics, Lara just made her debut with Team Germany. The couple now lives together in Munich but because they’re both professional athletes, they only get to see each other “for three to five days at a time.” Despite the limited time together, Lara says dating another athlete helps them understand each other.
“I find it really helpful because both of us understand what you have to do for your sport, that you’re away a lot and don’t see each other that often. Otherwise it would be really hard,” Lara shared with FC Bayern.
Lea and her team made it to the quarterfinals, and will face off against Canada on Saturday. Lara, meanwhile, competed in her first race on Friday.
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3. Lee Kiefer & Gerek Meinhardt
Lee Kiefer and Gerek Meinhardt have been dubbed the first couple of U.S. Fencing. After meeting at junior rank competitions as teenagers, they truly began falling for each other when they were both at the 2012 London Olympics. They went on to attend the University of Notre Dame together and then continued on to med school. In 2016, they both competed at the Rio Olympics, and three years later, they tied the knot. They then both went to the Tokyo Olympics and are in Paris for what they believe may be their fourth and final Olympics together.
“Both of us thought we were going to retire at 22. I’m 30, and he’s turning 34, and we’re really proud that [we’re still competing], to be honest. For most of our careers, we were the young ones — those surprising results, those people who they didn’t see coming. We were out there, no hesitation, no expectations,” Lee told Town & Country. “And then one day, it flips and you’re the leaders on the team and people are like, ‘Oh, maybe they’re going to get worse instead of better!’ You just find what you like about the sport. We love doing it together.”
On Thursday, Lee became the first American foil fencer to win three Olympic gold medals, with the 30-year-old helping Team USA win gold for the first time ever.
Gerek and the men’s foil fencing team have made it to the quarterfinals, and will compete against Team Egypt on Sunday.
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4. Gaël Monfils & Elina Svitolina
Tennis pros Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina both competed in Paris. Gaël, who plays for France, and Elina, who plays for Ukraine, have been dating since 2019. Although they briefly split, they rekindled their romance and tied the knot in 2021. They now share a little girl.
“For me it’s important to have someone who understands what I’m going through. I will have for sure some bad situations where I’m not feeling well off the court, you are struggling with motivation, which is normal for athletes. You are traveling so much. You’re away from home, away from your family,” Elina said.
She continued, “For me to have Gaël next to me it’s actually very lucky in our situation that we are both at the top of our sport so we are traveling pretty much to the same tournaments. That’s really lucky in a way that we found love for each other and we do the same thing. We play tennis. We have the same goals. We’re just helping each other in the way that we can help.”
Gaël was unfortunately defeated in the second round of men’s doubles and first round of men’s singles. Elina lost the third round of singles.
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5. Gabriella Willems & Christian Parlati
Gabriella Willems and her boyfriend, Christian Parlati, are both professional Judo athletes. This year marked their first time competing at the same Olympic games — although Christian also appeared at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Gabriella, who represents Belgium, and Christian, who represents Italy, have been together for seven years.
“After a long qualification period together, we’re excited to compete on the same day at the Olympics,” Gabriella told Olympics.com. “For Christian, it’s his second Olympic Games, and for me, it’s my first after missing Tokyo due to injury. We’ve supported each other for seven years, and sharing this moment is a dream come true.”
Gabrielle took home the bronze for women’s 70kg, while Christian and Team Italy will compete against Hungary in Round 32 on Friday.
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6. Noah Lyles & Junelle Bromfield
Track and field athletes Noah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield have been officially dating for almost two years. After meeting over seven years ago, their relationship finally turned romantic in 2022. Noah, who’s a part of Team USA, and Junelle, who competes for Jamaica, have both been to the Olympics twice but this marks the first time they’ll be there as a couple.
“So excited to share these moments with you,” Junelle wrote on TikTok ahead of the Paris games.
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7. Dominik Černý & Hana Burzalova
Slovak Olympians Dominik Černý and Hana Burzalova both took part in the race walk competition this year — and are set to walk down the aisle sometime soon too! The couple got engaged at the World Athletics Championship in 2023, just minutes after each competing in their individual races. Dominik met Hana at the finish line and then got down on one knee. The couple joked that they might even tie the knot in the middle of the Olympics.
“We have been together for almost one Olympic cycle, almost four years, so I think it was the right time,” Dominik told Olympics.com shortly after the proposal. “There are no plans yet for the wedding, maybe we will decide only two days in advance. We like to do random things. At the Paris Olympics maybe we will start as the Černý family — maybe in the new event, the race walk relay.”
Dominik and Hana both competed in the 20km walk in Paris.
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8. Tara Davis-Woodhall & Hunter Woodhall
Tara Davis-Woodhall and her husband, Hunter Woodhall, crossed paths early on in their track and field careers, meeting at a high school track meet in Idaho back in 2017. While Hunter had already been to the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro as a sprinter by then, a few years later, Tara joined Team USA as a long jumper at the Tokyo Olympics. After the games, the couple got engaged and in 2022, they got married. Now, they’ll both be competing in Paris together.
“We hold each other accountable — we’re a partnership, we’re a team, and every day, it’s a new experience, but we get to do it together, so it makes it ten times better,” Tara told TeamUSA.com.
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9. João Chianca & Luana Silva
Brazilian surfers João Chianca and Luana Silva are representing their country on the beaches of Tahiti while making their Olympic debut this year. The couple has been dating for a little over a year, marking their one-year anniversary back in May with a cute Instagram post.
João is still competing, while Luana lost in the shortboard quarterfinals.
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10. Rossella Fiamingo & Gregorio Paltrinieri
Rossella Fiamingo and Gregorio Paltrinieri are both competing at the Paris Olympics representing Team Italy, but for very different sports. While Rossella is an accomplished fencer, Gregorio is a swimmer. And both have already won medals in Paris so far!
“What we do, sport, is really complicated, but really exciting for us to keep doing this,” Gregorio told Olympics.com. “It’s full of ups and downs all the time, but for sure we motivate ourselves and we try to support each other.”
The couple both won medals in the same hour on Tuesday, with Rossella helping the Italian team take home the gold and Gregorio won bronze for the men’s 800m freestyle.
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11. Edward Gal & Hans Peter Minderhoud
Edward Gal and his partner Hans Peter Minderhoud have both been competing on the Dutch equestrian team for many years. The couple, who have been dating for over 15 years, have already been to three Olympic Games together and Paris marks their fourth.
“Competitions are a way of life and it is so much fun if you are with someone who precisely understands that and knows what you are doing, dedicating all your time to horses,” Hans shared with OutSports.