Love in the Olympic Village: Romance Blooms Amid Milan Cortina Games

At the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, medals aren’t the only treasures being won. From dramatic post-race proposals to couples competing both together and against each other, romance is flourishing across the icy venues of northern Italy.

The Winter Games have already witnessed several heartwarming romantic moments. Dutch skater Jutta Leerdam set an Olympic record in the 1000-meter race and immediately shared an emotional moment with fiancé Jake Paul in the stands, both tearfully exchanging heart gestures. In a particularly memorable moment, downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson’s longtime boyfriend proposed near the finish line Thursday, surrounded by supportive members of the U.S. Ski Team.

For some athletes, Valentine’s Day coincides with crucial competitions. The women’s skeleton finals falls on February 14, meaning that Kim Meylemans of Belgium and Nicole Rocha Silveira of Brazil—a married couple competing for their respective countries—will spend the romantic holiday focused on their Olympic dreams rather than on candlelit dinners.

“It’s always a bit of a Valentine’s Day,” Meylemans told reporters. “It is part of our sport every day, our love.” The couple feels fortunate their national Olympic committees arranged for them to share accommodations at Cortina d’Ampezzo’s Olympic village—an unusual arrangement since typically only teammates share housing. Their room reflects their dual nationalities, with one half decorated in Belgian colors and the other in Brazilian.

Their love story began in 2019 when Meylemans was already competing in World Cup races while Rocha Silveira was new to the sport. Their relationship blossomed during the pandemic when they shared short-term rentals as hotels closed. In a remarkable coincidence, they later unknowingly purchased identical engagement rings and planned proposals for the same boat trip in Brazil. They married last August.

The couple’s visibility at the Games carries special significance in Italy, where same-sex marriages aren’t legally recognized and only heterosexual married couples can jointly adopt. “It’s a great place to show it even more,” Rocha Silveira explained, hoping to “encourage and inspire people that they can be themselves.”

The Olympic volunteer corps also includes couples celebrating love amid their duties. Lori and Curtis Brown, married for over 30 years, will spend Valentine’s Day working at the skating arena. They’re among 18,000 volunteers in navy blue uniforms keeping the Olympics running smoothly across northern Italy.

Curtis, 60, said they hadn’t initially realized they were scheduled to work on the holiday but hopes they can coordinate their breaks for a shared meal. “This is the most special Valentine’s Day of our lives,” he said. “Because we’re both here, we’re both on the same page, we’re both enjoying this adventure together.”

While Curtis hadn’t yet purchased a gift when interviewed, Lori, 61, revealed she had bought him boxer briefs from the official Milan Cortina souvenir store. “It’s not so much about gift giving, just going out and doing something together,” she explained.

The Canadian hockey team features one of the Games’ most prominent couples—forward Laura Stacey and team captain Marie-Philip Poulin—who will face Germany in the quarterfinals on Valentine’s Day. “We have a game, we have a big game, so spending it together. We’re pretty lucky,” Stacey said. “Most people don’t get to do what they love, chasing their dreams together, and we do.”

The Winter Olympics has become a showcase for athletic partnerships that extend beyond competition. American figure skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who married in 2024, claimed a silver medal on Wednesday. U.S. bobsledding features monobloc world champion Kaysha Love, who is engaged to men’s push athlete Hunter Powell. Alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin is engaged to Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who returned to competition this season after recovering from serious injuries.

The luge community includes Italy’s Dominik Fischnaller and the U.S.’s Emily Sweeney, who married last year after dating for nearly 15 years, while Latvia’s team includes husband-and-wife pair Martins Bots and Elina Bota.

Curling perhaps boasts the most visible couples of any winter sport. Norway’s Magnus Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien, together since 2008, previously won bronze in Pyeongchang. Canada’s Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant married in 2022 and entered as medal favorites. Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwalller-Huerlimann added an extra dimension to the sport’s family atmosphere by bringing their baby to the Games, with photos of the infant carrying a miniature curling broom quickly becoming a viral sensation.

As the Games continue, these Olympic romances remind viewers that even amid the intense pressure of world-class competition, love manages to thrive—proving that sometimes the greatest victories aren’t measured in medals.