Loved-up Olympic couples: Laura and Jason Kenny, Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur & more

The Olympics hold a special place in Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird's hearts. The pair met at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and Megan later recalled to NBC Sports that she thought she made "such a bad impression," while Sue looked back fondly on the "dorky" encounter.

They dated quietly for a year before confirming their romance in July 2017. "I'm gay. Megan's my girlfriend…These aren't secrets to people who know me," she said in a 2017 interview with ESPNW. "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."

The footballer – who retired in July 2023 – and the basketball star got engaged in 2020.

With a total of 12 Olympic medals at their marital home, it's safe to say that Laura and Jason Kenny have a shared passion for sport.

The couple met in 2010 but Laura joked she didn't initially warm to her fellow cycling star. Things had changed by 2012 when they were spotted kissing at the beach volleyball during the London Olympics.

They got married in 2016 and went on to welcome Albert, six, and Monty, one. Laura and Jason both competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games, before Laura announced her retirement in March 2024, just months before the Paris Olympic Games.

Tennis stars Boulter and Alex de Minaur are making their Olympics debut together in 2024. They started dating in 2020 after crossing paths in a hotel, with Katie admitting she knew it was something special from their first few dates.

"One day, when we were staying in the same hotel, we bumped into each other at six in the morning and ended up getting a coffee," she told The Sydney Morning Herald. "From that moment, I knew I was in it for the long haul."

With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting in the early stages of their relationship, the pair had to spend months apart and relied on FaceTime to stay in touch. "I was in Spain under house arrest and she was in the UK, so we had months of talking on FaceTime," he explained.

"I think I realised this was becoming something special when I found myself wanting to talk to her all the time. Her companionship was something I'd been looking for: it gave me a sense of peace."

The couple posted their first Instagram photo together in March 2021 to mark their one-year anniversary.

High school sweethearts Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis reportedly met during a Track meet during their senior year in 2017.

Long jump star Tara and Paralympian Hunter had a long-distance relationship while she attended the University of Georgia and the University of Texas while Woodhall attended the University of Arkansas.

They got engaged in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2021 and tied the knot the following year. 

"Ever since we started dating, Hunter and I have talked about getting married. We truly saw each other for the rest of our lives and this is just so surreal. We’ve hit so many milestones together and this is the biggest one. It’s everything we dreamed of!" Tara told People.

Tobin Heath and Christen Press shocked fans when they revealed they had kept their relationship under wraps for eight years.

"Tobin and I were not really friends," Team USA soccer star Christen told E! News. "We weren’t really running in the same circles, and then as soon as I actually got to know her, there was just like, a magnetism. I was like, ‘That’s what I want’ and I never looked back. I still feel the exact same way."

The bronze medallist explained that their loved ones knew about their romance, but they didn't feel the need to announce it publicly.

"We were never in the closet, like, hiding it. Our people always knew what was going on with us. It was the public, the fans that we got our little privacy."

Ice dancing duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates began skating together in 2011, but it took Evan five years to admit he had feelings for his friend.

"I felt like there was always something there – a spark," he told The New York Times, while Madison recalled: "He took me by surprise. But then at the same time, I wasn’t surprised. I was like, 'Oh, actually I have feelings for you, too.'"

The couple got engaged in Thailand in June 2022 before tying the knot in June 2024 in Hawaii.

Italian couple Rossella Fiamingo and Gregorio Paltrinieri are already making waves at the Paris Olympics. The fencer – who won gold – and the swimmer – who won silver – are reportedly engaged after meeting at the Tokyo Olympics, but they have kept details of their relationship under wraps.