Hillary Knight Engaged at Olympics; Brittany Bowe Attends Gold-Medal Game
Hillary Knight announced her engagement and spent the lead-up to the women's hockey gold-medal game with her newly fiancée, Brittany Bowe. Knight popped the question after a morning coffee run, the couple shared the news in a social post on Feb. 18 (ET), and Bowe was in the stands for the gold-medal final on Thursday, Feb. 19 (ET).
Hillary Knight's proposal and Olympic buildup
The engagement came following a morning coffee run when Knight got down on one knee and proposed, a moment the pair made public on Feb. 18 (ET) through a social announcement. Knight then attended Team USA's final practice before the gold-medal game, a visible preparation step ahead of the big match on Thursday, Feb. 19 (ET). The announcement closed a chapter that began when the two first connected at the 2022 Beijing Games and later started dating in December 2022. Their relationship also played a part in Knight's decision to publicly come out the following year.
Brittany Bowe at the final and her remaining Olympic race
Brittany Bowe was spotted in Team USA gear at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena as she took in the women's hockey gold-medal game on Thursday, Feb. 19 (ET), one day after the proposal. Bowe is still scheduled to compete in the women's speed skating 1500-meter race on Friday, Feb. 20 (ET) and chose not to miss what was described as the final Olympic game of Knight's career. At these Games, Bowe finished fourth in both the women's 1, 000 meters and the women's team pursuit and will have another chance to pursue a medal in the 1500m, a distance she previously held the world record in.
The engagement and Bowe's presence at the arena created an emotional backdrop to the competition. Knight's visible involvement in pre-game preparations and Bowe's decision to attend despite her own event schedule underscored how the athletes balanced personal milestones with Olympic commitments. Milano Cortina marks what the coverage described as the last Games for both athletes, with Knight participating in her fifth Games and Bowe in her fourth.
Together, the developments—Knight's proposal after a morning coffee run, the couple's Feb. 18 (ET) announcement, Knight's attendance at the final practice, and Bowe's appearance at the gold-medal game while preparing for the 1500m on Feb. 20 (ET)—shaped a rare Olympic storyline that blended competition and a high-profile personal moment for the Team USA pair.
