Chinese diver He Zi misses out on gold medal but bags diamond ring as boyfriend propose

Mangalore Today News Network

Rio, August 15, 2016: A Chinese diver missed out on Olympic gold but bagged a diamond ring after her teammate boyfriend surprised her by popping the question.

He Zi got the shock of her life when partner Qin Kai interrupted the medal ceremony of the women’s 3 metre springboard event to get down on one knee.

Qin, who won a bronze medal in his own synchronized diving event last week, took to the stage in front of a crowd of thousands after He received her silver medal.

He then presented his 25-year-old girlfriend with a red box with the ring and a glass-encased rose on bended knee.

He tearfully accepted the proposal with a big hug.

She later said: "I didn’t know he would propose today and I didn’t expect myself to marry myself out so early.

"I saw him during the afternoon and he seemed to be memorising something, so I asked him ’what are you doing?’ and he said he was singing.

"I’ve forgotten most of what he’s said (during the proposal), but it’s largely what you can expect like promises, but what touched me the most is that he said he was willing to be bullied by me for life."

He has been dating the 30-year-old Qin for the past six years.

Shi Tingmao, who won the gold medal in the same event, said she had knew about the proposal before the event, which Qin watched from the sidelines with the Chinese team.

"I’m really happy for them, because these years, be it career or relationships-wise, they have had to face a lot of pressure," she said.

The engagement is the second of the Games.

Brazilian women’s rugby player Isadora Cerullo accepted a marriage proposal from her girlfriend at the medals ceremony for the first Olympic rugby sevens competition last week.