“There were a lot of people thinking, ‘Oh my god, he’s stealing her moment.’ Some even imagined he proposed while I was on the medal stand. I just thought, ‘Let’s stop putting down other people’s joys.’ This was exactly what I wanted,” Johnson shared. According to her, the proposal didn’t overshadow her achievements. “My golden medal moment already came a few days earlier. This was another wonderful experience, having two of the loves of my life come together,” Johnson commented.

Competing in her third Olympics, Johnson secured the United States’ first gold medal in women’s downhill at the Milan-Cortina Games on February 8. However, a few days later, she faced a setback during a super-G event when her pole got caught in a gate, leading her to fall into the catch fence before finishing the course.

Watkins proposed with a blue and white sapphire ring set in white gold, quoting lyrics from Taylor Swift’s song “The Alchemy” while asking the big question.

“The Olympics hold a special magic. It feels mysterious,” Johnson mentioned about her engagement, and she even received congratulations from fellow bride-to-be Swift.

Planning her wedding is now on Johnson’s to-do list, and she also took a moment to bid farewell to her critics.

“It doesn’t require a comment from me. It’s just not what I want or how I want to express myself,” she said of the criticism directed at her.

Johnson, who came out as bisexual in 2022, initially met Watkins through the dating app Bumble. He works in the construction industry.