Janice R. Andrews
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Lilly King made history on Thursday during the Olympic trials when she not only locked up her berth in the 200-meter breaststroke for the 2017 Paris Olympics, but she also got engaged. It was a fantastic turn of events that will go down in her storied career.
King was about to create history in the 200-meter breaststroke, having already qualified for her third Olympic Games with a first-place result on Monday. She would become the first American swimmer to qualify for both events in three consecutive Olympics if she finished in first or second place.
It was a fierce race. When they reached the last stretch, King was falling behind Alex Walsh. She closed the distance in the last meters, finishing only 0.45 seconds ahead of Walsh, in an incredible show of effort. Both of them lagged behind Kate Douglass, the first place finisher, who missed her own American record by just 0.16 seconds.
King’s incredible performance guarantees her a spot in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke competitions in Paris, an accomplishment no other American swimmer has achieved.
As if this accomplishment weren’t remarkable enough, King’s boyfriend James Wells made her an even more unforgettable day by popping the question immediately after she emerged from the swimming pool. Wells proposed to King in a moving speech, and she happily accepted, adding a personal success to her career achievements.
In addition proposing highlighting their shared path, Wells’ proposal mentioned how he had relocated across the nation to be with King and expressed his enthusiasm for their future together.
King had a distinguished career. She rose to prominence in the 2016 Rio Olympics when she defeated Yuliya Yefimova of Russia in the 100-meter breaststroke. She also won a bronze in the 100-meter breaststroke and a silver in the 200-meter and 4×100-meter medley relays in Tokyo.
King now has even more delight and drive driving her trip as she aims to recapture the top rank in Paris. Lilly King’s wedding is probably not going to happen until after the Paris Games, but 2024 is already looking like it will be an incredible year for her.
