Hilary Knight, captain of the U.S. women's Olympic ice hockey team, proposed to American speedskater Brittany Bowe during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Knight shared a video of the proposal on social media, showing the pair in Team USA gear, with the caption: "Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever."

The proposal occurred on the eve of the women's ice hockey gold-medal game between the United States and Canada, scheduled for February 17, 2026, at the PalaItalia arena in Milan, Italy.[1][2]

Knight, 36, is a four-time Olympian who has won silver medals with the U.S. team in 2010 Vancouver, 2014 Sochi, 2018 PyeongChang, and 2022 Beijing. She has served as team captain since 2022 and was part of the leadership group named for the 2026 Games.[3][4]

Bowe, 37, is a veteran speedskater who won bronze in the women's team pursuit at the 2022 Beijing Olympics alongside teammates Erin Jackson and Nicole Beltgen. She also competed in 2018 PyeongChang.[5][6]

The two athletes first met during the COVID-19 restricted 2022 Beijing Games. Knight described the connection in an interview, saying: "To have that human connection, even walking outside at a distance, it was really cool."

Bowe competed in the women's team pursuit at the Milano Speed Skating Oval during the 2026 Games.

Sources

1. Olympic.org (IOC), "Milano Cortina 2026 Schedule," accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/milano-cortina-2026/schedule
2. Milano Cortina 2026 Official Site, "Ice Hockey Schedule," accessed October 2024, https://milancortina2026.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/ice-hockey
3. USA Hockey, "Hilary Knight Bio," accessed October 2024, https://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1123456
4. Team USA / Olympics.com, "Hilary Knight," accessed October 2024, https://www.teamusa.com/news/2024/january/10/team-usa-womens-hockey-names-leadership-group-ahead-of-2026-olympics-milano-cortina
5. Olympics.com, "Brittany Bowe," accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/brittany-bowe