{"id":468397,"date":"2026-02-14T15:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T15:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/468397\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T15:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T15:08:10","slug":"valentines-day-is-celebrated-different-at-the-winter-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/468397\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentine’s Day is celebrated different at the Winter Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"

MILAN (AP) \u2014 At the Milan Cortina Olympic Games<\/a>, winning medals isn\u2019t the only thing making hearts swell. From the ice rinks to the snowy hills, love is in the frozen air.<\/p>\n

Some competitions already seem to have Cupid in attendance. <\/p>\n

Dutch skater Jutta Leerdam<\/a> set an Olympic record in the 1000-meter race, then turned to find her fianc\u00e9 Jake Paul in the stands; both visibly weeping, they made heart signs to one another with their hands. And downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson<\/a> \u2019s longtime boyfriend proposed to her near the finish line Thursday while surrounded by members of the U.S. Ski Team.<\/p>\n

Valentine\u2019s Day for athletes and attendees at the Games doesn\u2019t usually mean grand gestures, but it\u2019s no less special. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"United<\/p>\n

United States\u2019 Breezy Johnson, right, and fiancee Connor Watkins are interviewed after he proposed to her at the end of an alpine ski, women\u2019s super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/p>\n

United States\u2019 Breezy Johnson, right, and fiancee Connor Watkins are interviewed after he proposed to her at the end of an alpine ski, women\u2019s super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/p>\n

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Competing on Valentine\u2019s Day<\/p>\n

Valentine\u2019s Day is the finals for the women\u2019s skeleton event. That means that Kim Meylemans of Belgium and Nicole Rocha Silveira of Brazil \u2014 an international couple who play for their separate national teams \u2014 will be too busy for a romantic dinner. They told The Associated Press they didn\u2019t even bring gifts to exchange.<\/p>\n

But since they are together all the time, \u201cIt\u2019s always a bit of a Valentine\u2019s Day,\u201d Meylemans said. \u201cIt is part of our sport every day, our love.\u201d <\/p>\n

The two feel fortunate their national Olympic committees arranged for them to bunk together at Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo\u2019s Olympic village<\/a>, since typically only teammates share housing. Half their room is decorated for Belgium, the other half Brazil. <\/p>\n

Rocha Silveira was new to the sport in 2019 when Meylemans was already competing in World Cup races. They fell in love during the pandemic while sharing short-term rentals, since many hotels closed. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Belgium's<\/p>\n

Belgium\u2019s Kim Meylemans, left, and Brazil\u2019s Nicole Rocha Silveira react, at the finish during a women\u2019s skeleton run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Alessandra Tarantino)<\/p>\n

Belgium\u2019s Kim Meylemans, left, and Brazil\u2019s Nicole Rocha Silveira react, at the finish during a women\u2019s skeleton run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Alessandra Tarantino)<\/p>\n

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Fast forward to 2024, and they unknowingly bought identical engagement rings and planned proposals for the same boat trip in Brazil while on vacation. They married last August.<\/p>\n

When they compete, they high-five and kiss before each run, wishing the other well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter which one is on the podium. At the end of the day, it\u2019s a victory for our team,\u201d Meylemans said.<\/p>\n

Rocha Silveira said it\u2019s important their relationship appears during these Games in Italy, where same-sex marriages aren\u2019t recognized<\/a> and only married heterosexual couples are allowed to jointly adopt. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great place to \u201cshow it even more,\u201d and \u201cencourage and inspire people that they can be themselves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Volunteer valentines<\/p>\n

Lori and Curtis Brown have been married for over 30 years and will be spend Valentine\u2019s Day at the skating arena where they are volunteering for this year\u2019s Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n

About 18,000 volunteers are spread across the venues in northern Italy<\/a> \u2014 a sea of navy blue uniforms<\/a> keeping the Olympics running around the clock, with duties such as giving directions, accompanying athletes to venues, crowd control and medical support.<\/p>\n

Curtis, 60, said neither of them had realized they were scheduled to work. Now, they\u2019re hoping they can coincide their breaks to have dinner together, perhaps surrounded by the rest of the volunteers, he joked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the most special Valentine\u2019s Day of our lives,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cBecause we\u2019re both here, we\u2019re both on the same page, we\u2019re both enjoying this adventure together.\u201d<\/p>\n

While presents are neither\u2019s love language, Lori, 61, told the AP she bought boxer briefs from the official Milan Cortina souvenir store. Curtis hadn\u2019t bought anything for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not so much about gift giving, just going out and doing something together,\u201d said Lori, 61. She spoke while sitting beside Curtis, so perhaps she\u2019ll be surprised on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Canadians facing off against Germany<\/p>\n

Canadian hockey forward Laura Stacey and her wife, team captain Marie-Philip Poulin<\/a>, have a different kind of date: playing Germany\u2019s team in the quarterfinals in Milan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a game, we have a big game, so spending it together. We\u2019re pretty lucky,\u201d Stacey said. \u201cMost people don\u2019t get to do what they love, chasing their dreams together, and we do. So I think on February 14th, I think it\u2019s important for us to just appreciate that and not take it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from taking on Germany, they don\u2019t have plans \u2014 but Stacey said they will surely at least give each other cards.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Canada's<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s Marie-Philip Poulin (29) gathers with teammates during warmups before a preliminary round match of women\u2019s ice hockey against Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo\/Carolyn Kaster)<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s Marie-Philip Poulin (29) gathers with teammates during warmups before a preliminary round match of women\u2019s ice hockey against Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo\/Carolyn Kaster)<\/p>\n

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Other Olympian couples<\/p>\n

Many other couples are at the Olympics, some teammates and others competing against each other.<\/p>\n

\u2014 The record-breaking<\/a> face of the U.S. women\u2019s hockey team, Hilary Knight, is in Milan with her girlfriend Brittany Bowe, a speedskater<\/a> from the U.S. skating team. On Saturday, she posted a photo of a pink, heart-shaped carabiner on her Instagram. <\/p>\n

\u2014 American figure skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates were married in 2024 and won a silver medal<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u2014 U.S. bobsledding has a power couple with reigning women\u2019s monobloc world champion Kaysha Love<\/a> engaged to men\u2019s push athlete Hunter Powell. She\u2019s in the Olympics for the second time, while he\u2019s making his debut.<\/p>\n

\u2014 U.S. Alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin<\/a> \u2014 that sport\u2019s all-time wins leader \u2014 is engaged to Norway\u2019s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde<\/a>, who returned to racing this season after dealing with major injuries.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Italy\u2019s luge team Dominik Fischnaller and the U.S.\u2019s Emily Sweeney married<\/a> last year after dating for almost 15 years.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Latvia\u2019s luge team includes the husband-and-wife pair of Martins Bots and Elina Bota, both single sliders.<\/p>\n

\u2014Curling may have the most well-known couples of any sport<\/a>. Norway\u2019s Magnus Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien have been together since 2008 and won bronze in Pyeongchang. Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant of Canada married in 2022 and were favorites this year. There are Switzerland\u2019s Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwalller-Huerlimann<\/a>, too; they brought their baby and photos of him carrying a curling broom twice his size went viral. <\/p>\n

He looked like a curling Cupid. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Switzerland's<\/p>\n

Switzerland\u2019s Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann kiss during the mixed doubles round robin phase of the curling competition against Britain, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo\/Fatima Shbair)<\/p>\n

Switzerland\u2019s Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann kiss during the mixed doubles round robin phase of the curling competition against Britain, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo\/Fatima Shbair)<\/p>\n

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___<\/p>\n

McDermott reported from Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, Italy. Associated Press writer John Wawrow in Milan contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP Olympics: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MILAN (AP) \u2014 At the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, winning medals isn\u2019t the only thing making hearts swell.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468398,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[190960,113110,217753,941,217754,217760,117915,217758,217752,217756,212964,793,217755,212921,212693,52362,217757,198735,217751,217748,217750,149,212962,217759,217749,213457,217747,217154,45567,200479,99,795,189621,45569,965,178499],"class_list":{"0":"post-468397","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-2026-milan-cortina-olympic-games","9":"tag-2026-winter-olympics","10":"tag-aleksander-aamodt-kilde","11":"tag-brazil","12":"tag-brett-gallant","13":"tag-brittany-bowe","14":"tag-curtis-brown","15":"tag-dominik-fischnaller","16":"tag-elina-bota","17":"tag-emily-sweeney","18":"tag-evan-bates","19":"tag-general-news","20":"tag-germany-olympic-team","21":"tag-hilary-knight","22":"tag-italy-olympic-team","23":"tag-jake-paul","24":"tag-jocelyn-peterman","25":"tag-jutta-leerdam","26":"tag-kim-meylemans","27":"tag-kristin-skaslien","28":"tag-laura-stacey","29":"tag-lifestyle","30":"tag-madison-chock","31":"tag-magnus-nedregotten","32":"tag-marie-philip-poulin","33":"tag-mikaela-shiffrin","34":"tag-nicole-rocha-silveira","35":"tag-norway-olympic-team","36":"tag-olympic-games","37":"tag-send-to-apple-news","38":"tag-sports","39":"tag-u-s-news","40":"tag-valentines-day","41":"tag-winter-olympic-games","42":"tag-world-news","43":"tag-yannick-schwaller"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/468398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}