Lilly King won’t soon forget her night at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
King became the first American swimmer to qualify for both the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes in three successive Olympics on Thursday in Indianapolis. And seconds after she stepped out of the pool following her second-place finish in the 200, she was greeted by her boyfriend, James Wells.
In front of King’s teammates and television cameras that captured the moment, Wells — a former swimmer himself — told King what was on his mind.
“In and out of the pool, and just to see you grow has been so awesome,” Wells said. “And I don’t regret for a minute dropping my job and moving halfway across the country. It has been awesome. I am very excited. So, here is the ring. Will you …”
King responded with “yes, yes” before he finished the question.
King, 27, said earlier this week that the 2024 Paris Olympics will be her last.
A native of Indiana, she won two gold medals in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, followed by two silver medals and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
–Field Level Media