Swimmer Lilly King engaged; proposal comes after she secures second Paris Olympics spot

Lilly King

It’s a big year for Lilly King. Not only did she place second in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, securing a second spot for the Paris Olympics games, she also got a proposal.

Moments after she completed her swim, her boyfriend, James Wells, was waiting near the pool at the Olympic swim trials being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Thursday night, The Athletic reported.

He grabbed the ring from his pocket, took his knee and said “Lillia Camille King, will you marry me?” as cameras rolled. She of course said yes, then hugged her now fiancé.

The proposal on a national stage may not have been a complete surprise. The Athletic pointed out that another swimmer told King to let her hair down as she got out of the pool. King laughed after realizing why the other swimmer told her, when she put two-and-two together.

“I was honestly just so confused why he was on deck. After that I was like ‘Why are you wearing your nice clothes, like what’s going on?’ Then I realized, oh I know what’s going on,” King told the “Today” show.

Wells is also a swimmer who competed at Indiana University Bloomington with King. He said it was the perfect time to ask her the big question, NBC News reported.

“It means so much for her to be here in front of this crowd,” Wells said. “That’s the perfect opportunity.”

King said she was expecting a proposal, just not before the games. She told “Today” that she figured Wells was going to pop the question after the Paris Games when they were planning to “frolic around Europe.”

The swim trials run through Sunday. The Olympic opening ceremony will be held on July 26.


On AirSTAR 94.5 - Orlando's Only R&B Logo

STAR Cares is an exclusive Community Affairs initiative of STAR 94.5, committed to enriching the lives of African-Americans in our community who need to be informed and benefit from programs targeting Education, Health and Financial Literacy



mobile apps

Everything you love about star945.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!