It's a 'Yes!' as romance wins the day

Hu Mingda (right) gets down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend and taekwondo teammate Liang Jie following the medal ceremony for the mixed pair poomsae competition at the Chengdu FISU World University Games on Sunday. DENG WEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

True love on the taekwondo mat as Chinese athlete proposes to gold medal-winning girlfriend

Chinese taekwondo ace Liang Jie was probably the happiest athlete at the Chengdu FISU World University Games on Sunday — winning not only a gold medal but also her true love's hand in marriage.

After emerging victorious along with Liu Siyue in the mixed pair poomsae event, Liang's boyfriend, Hu Mingda, proposed to her immediately after the medal ceremony. In front of the live TV cameras, the answer was "Yes".

"I never thought that I would have a second surprise after I won the gold medal. He didn't say anything about the proposal beforehand. I did not expect it. I was thrilled, surprised, and a little bit astonished," Liang, who also won a women's team poomsae silver, told China Daily.

Hu, also a taekwondo athlete, revealed that the proposal was completely spontaneous. He even borrowed the ring!

"I was just super excited when I saw them win the gold medal, so I wanted to express my love to her. I was overwhelmed by emotion. Winning the gold was a historic moment for our team. So my proposal was an impromptu decision at that super thrilling moment," said Hu, captain of Team China's poomsae squad at the games, who won silver in the men's individual and team poomsae competitions.

"I actually didn't even have a ring. I borrowed the ring from a staff member at the venue, and then I just proposed to her. I will for sure buy her a new ring. In my eyes, she's always been a very tough girl. Knowing her as a teammate, she can always beat the odds in training, competitions and everyday life. That's so attractive," Hu added.

Hu, Liang and Liu are all students at Chongqing College of Economics and Trade.

Liu, Liang's mixed pair partner, admitted he was a little stunned by the whole episode, but was also delighted for his lovestruck teammates.

"It was truly unexpected. I've just been focusing on training so much lately. I was astonished when I saw Hu take out the ring to propose to my playing partner. That was a moment that deserves to be remembered for life. I was super happy for them," a beaming Liu told China Daily.

"Liang is a very caring person, especially toward Hu. I noticed before that she always helps our captain in daily training. I'm a very sensitive man, I should have seen it coming!"

Hu and Liang celebrate her gold medal in the mixed event. XINHUA

Fight as one

The romantic interlude capped a highly successful campaign in Chengdu for the Chinese taekwondo squad, who credit teamwork and a strong sense of national pride for their medal haul.

"We always have the same goal, which is to win gold and raise our national flag at all the important competitions. We want to raise the spirits of the Chinese student-athletes at the games, and I want to bring honor to our nation," said Hu.

"As the captain of the team. I always lead the team to train under the coach's instruction. We assign goals for each training session and achieve them. And then repeat this again and again. The key to our great results here is that we always help each other and improve together.

"My teammates here at the World University Games are all outstanding student-athletes. I just feel so lucky to eventually earn the chance to represent our nation at the games. And our bond and friendship with each other are so valuable."

For the triumphant mixed pair, cooperation and teamwork are especially important to master.

"The men's and women's pairs normally have similar speed or strength, but the mixed pairs have different speeds," Liu explained.

"The female athletes are more flexible and the male athletes are more explosive. It's challenging to perform as one, so we need to think more about each other and improve together. We have been very supportive to each other."

Captain Hu added that the three of them have been in the team for many years, so he has experienced and witnessed the transformative power of taekwondo.

"I have been practicing taekwondo for over a decade. This sport has changed my life. It makes me more confident and braver. Physically and mentally, I'm much stronger than when I was a boy," said Hu.

And speaking of the future, Hu said he would like to stick with the sport as long as possible.

"As we are getting older, we are facing that question whether we will continue to practice this sport after graduation," he said. "For us, as long as we can still compete, we will keep trying in the sport and win more honors."