Thursday night ended up being life-changing for Olympic swimmer Lilly King. After qualifying for the Paris Olympics at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, King also got engaged after her boyfriend, James Wells, proposed to her.
King finished second to Kate Douglass in the 200-meter breaststroke event minutes prior. This came after King had already qualified for the Paris Olympics in the 100-meter breaststroke event earlier this week.
When it comes to the U.S. swimming trials, a first-place finish guarantees the winner a spot in that specific Olympic event. A second-place finish doesn't guarantee a spot in that event, but it's very close to a lock that King will be competing in the 200-meter breaststroke in Paris.
After exiting the pool, Wells was waiting for King. NBC cameras caught the proposal as the two talked, and Wells eventually popped the question that was met with a resounding "yes" from King.
After Lilly King qualified for her second race for the Paris Olympics, her fiancé gave her a ring of her own. 💍 #SwimTrials24 pic.twitter.com/UgnfeyJYgO
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 21, 2024
King earned gold medals in the 100-meter breaststroke and the 4x100-meter medley relay at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She followed that up with two silver medals and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Now King will be looking to secure a few more medals at the Paris Olympics, which begin next month.
