Breezy Johnson's Gold, Proposal and Olympic Power Couples
Breezy Johnson won downhill gold on Feb. 8 and was proposed to after crashing out of the Super-G, as multiple athlete couples compete at Milano Cortina through Feb. 14.
Overview
Breezy Johnson won the women's Olympic downhill on Feb. 8 and was proposed to by boyfriend Connor Watkins after crashing out of the women's Super-G on Thursday, according to interviews and team posts.
Coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games noted that many competing athletes are dating, engaged or married as the Games run through Valentine's Day (Feb. 14).
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team posted congratulations on Johnson's engagement, and the event drew attention from pop star Taylor Swift, according to reports.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates hold three Olympic medals, including a 2026 team gold and a 2026 ice dance silver, and married in June 2024, according to coverage.
Mikaela Shiffrin is scheduled to compete in the giant slalom on Feb. 15 and the slalom on Feb. 18, according to the interview with Breezy Johnson.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally, balancing factual race details with human-interest elements. They report the crash, engagement, social-media reactions, and Brignone's comeback without loaded editorializing; quotes and vivid verbs are sourced to athletes or observers, and emphasis shifts naturally between event outcomes and personal moments.
Sources (5)
FAQ
Connor Watkins and Breezy Johnson met on the dating app Bumble in 2023[3]. They had been dating for over two years at the time of the proposal[3]. Watkins initially didn't know who Johnson was on their first date, but once he found out she was an Olympic skier, he was impressed and somewhat intimidated[1].
Connor Watkins had the wooden ring box engraved with the words "Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy," which is a line from Taylor Swift's 2024 song "The Alchemy"[2]. Johnson explained the song's meaning to her: "I feel like 'The Alchemy' is a song about a sports person and a poet that are in love, and I feel like he's the poet and I'm the sports person"[3]. The couple bonded over the song, which came out around the time they moved in together[3].
Johnson had expressed a desire to get engaged at the Olympics, telling Watkins in 2024 that if he was serious about their relationship, the Olympics were two years away[4]. However, she did not expect the proposal to occur at that specific moment after the Super-G event. When Watkins asked her to meet at the finish line, she thought everyone would leave and she'd be alone[4]. She was surprised when he got down on one knee[4].
Connor Watkins spent approximately one year planning the proposal[2][3]. He stated that the planning was challenging but he had help from many people, which made it possible to execute successfully[2].
Connor Watkins works in construction and is based in Salt Lake City[1]. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has spent 11 years in the construction industry in both preconstruction and operations, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Finance Concentration from the Georgia Institute of Technology, which he received in May 2013[3].
History
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