6 Athletic Couples Who Met at The Olympic Games

Every two years, the world watches as the finest athletes gather to compete at the Olympic Games. While most fans tune in to see who takes home gold, or which country dominates top sports like swimming, skiing, or skating, some can't help but wonder about the personal lives of competitors. (Hi, we're guilty.) Of course, the subject of Olympic romances is a hot topic each time the games roll around. After all, with steamy gossip making headlines about the rather scandalous activity that goes down in the Olympic Village, it's only human nature to wonder if people really do fall in love at the Olympics—and the answer is yes!

Throughout the history of the Olympic Games, a few lucky couples have found their soul mates while in pursuit of athletic greatness. From Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe to Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrinec, we look back on six Olympic romances that began at the Games.

Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird

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Individually, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are two of the most revered athletes in their sports (soccer and basketball, respectively). Together, they make up one of the most dominant power couples of all time. Though they're both retired now, Rapinoe and Bird met amid the height of their careers at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The two were doing press interviews before a Team USA photoshoot when Rapinoe saw Bird walk by in full glam. "She was in her basketball uniform and she had her hair down," Rapinoe later recalled to NBC Sports. Bird added, "We kinda crossed and she was like, 'Oh, hey! Ready for your game?' I was like, 'Ha-ha … funny.'"

Although Rapinoe thought she made "such a bad impression," Bird was smitten by the "dorky" encounter. They quietly began dating after they met—but at the time, Bird had not publicly come out. (Rapinoe did so in 2012 through an OUT Magazine story.) In 2017, Bird addressed her sexuality and confirmed her relationship with Rapinoe in an espnW interview. "I'm gay. Megan's my girlfriend…These aren't secrets to people who know me," she said. "I don't feel like I've not lived my life. I think people have this assumption that if you're not talking about it, you must be hiding it, like it's this secret. That was never the case for me."

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The couple has since used their platform to advocate for social justice, civil rights causes, and LGBTQIA+ visibility. Rapinoe popped the question in 2020 after four years of dating, and the two have openly discussed their vision for a tropical destination wedding.

Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrinec

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Turns out the Olympic Village isn't all just hook-ups and one-night stands after all. Years before he made a name for himself as one of the most successful tennis players of all time, Roger Federer was an 18-year-old novice at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Federer took a liking to 21-year-old Miroslava 'Mirka' Vavrinec, a fellow Swiss athlete. "We spent two weeks together in those dorms," Federer told CNN in 2019. "We were together with the wrestlers and all the other cool athletes. I guess over the two weeks, we built up some chemistry."

Following some encouragement from a wrestler, Federer made a move on Vavrinec—but she was hesitant to pursue a serious relationship because of their age gap. "She told me I was so young when she kissed me," he added. "I tried to tell her I was almost 18-and-a-half. I tried to sneak in a quarter year!"

Alas, the heart wants what it wants, and the tennis players began dating shortly after. When Vavrinec was forced into an early retirement because of a foot injury, she signed on as Federer's PR manager. They got married in April 2009, and have since welcomed an identical set of twin daughters and a set of fraternal twin boys. In his emotional retirement announcement in 2022, he praised his wife for her support throughout his record-breaking career. "I would like to especially thank my amazing wife Mirka, who has lived through every minute with me," the statement said. "She has warmed me up before finals, watched countless matches even while over eight months pregnant, and endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years."

Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican

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A figure skater falling in love with a hockey player might sound like the plot of a romance novel, but that's exactly what happened to Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican. The decorated skater met her future husband, an NHL star, just days after she won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France. "He was clean-cut and soft-spoken," Yamaguchi told People of their first encounter. "Figure skaters have awful perceptions of hockey players, and I thought, 'This guy's a little different.'"

The two didn't begin dating until three years later, though, when they reconnected at the opening of Vancouver's ice hockey arena in 1995. After getting engaged in 1998, they tied the knot in 2000. Their daughters Emmy and Keara were born in 2003 and 2005.

Jason and Laura Kenny

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While British cyclists Jason and Laura Kenny didn't *technically* meet at the Olympics, the cover of their super-secret relationship was blown at the 2012 Games in London—all thanks to David Beckham! Laura met her future husband on her first day as a senior squad team member at British Cycling in 2010. A fresh-faced 18-year-old, she made friends with plenty of her teammates…except Jason. During an appearance on the British talk show Loose Women, Laura recalled that he didn't show much interest in their first encounter. "Jason just sat there drinking a cup of coffee... nothing," she said with a laugh.

While it wasn't necessarily love at first sight, the athletes bonded over their shared love of cycling and quietly began dating in the spring of 2012. During the Olympics in their home country that summer, they had stellar performances, each taking home two gold medals. Once their competitions were complete, they took in a volleyball match and couldn't keep their hands off each other. Unbeknownst to them, cameras captured their passionate kisses because they were seated behind Beckham. "The next morning Laura woke up to a series of texts from her agent. 'Laura, what the hell? Google yourself,'" Jason told The Daily Mail in 2021. "In all the newspapers were half-page photos of the two of us kissing like teenagers at a bus stop, David Beckham in the foreground."

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Luckily, the couple can laugh about it now. After their Olympic romance was made public that summer, they got married in September 2016. They've since welcomed two sons together. When Jason retired in 2020, he was the most successful British Olympian of all time. Laura, for her part, officially stepped down from the sport in March 2024.

Katerina Kurkova and Matthew Emmons

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US shooter Matthew Emmons had a dramatic experience at the 2004 Summer Olympics, which took place in Athens, Greece. After the athlete's rifle was sabotaged in the locker room, he had to borrow one to compete in his tournaments. Although he won gold in the first matchup, he fell from first place to eighth place in the second after messing up his last shot.

While Emmons was reeling at a local bar following his performance, he was consoled by Czech sport shooter Katerina Kurkova. Little did they know then, but Emmons' misfortune would be the catalyst for falling in love. "The way he handled that loss seemed very cool to me," Kurkova told TIME in 2008. "And I'm not blind. He's pretty cute."

The couple got married in 2007, and share four children together. Kurkova supported Emmons through another devastating loss at the 2008 Games. (He still went on to win the bronze medal in a separate competition that year.) "Things happen for a reason. I said that last time, and it's the truth," he told reporters. "Maybe last time, the reason was Katy. This time I don't know yet, but I'm sure something good's going to come from it."

Irina Rodríguez and Ander Mirambell

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Ever wonder if Olympic romances blossom between summer and winter athletes? While it's a rare phenomenon, it can happen. Such was the case for artistic swimmer Irina Rodríguez and skeleton racer Ander Mirambell. Their first encounter took place in the physical therapy clinic at the Vancouver Games in 2010. Rodríguez had recently retired from her sport after participating in the 2008 Games, where she won a silver medal. She took up physiotherapy as a second career—so when Mirambell needed assistance during his time in Vancouver, she came highly recommended.

They hit it off and have since embarked on a beautiful love story together. Not only do they share one son, the athletes also started a YouTube account to document their adventures together, aptly titled AguaconHieloTV, which translates to "water with ice."