Brittany Bowe & Hilary Knight
The U.S. women’s hockey team captain and veteran speed skater has a particularly special relationship with the Olympics, having their first date during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“Hilary and I have known each other for years through various Team USA events…but this was the first time we had the time to really connect and get to know each other,” Brittany, 37, told People in January. “Hillary asked, “Do you want to go for a walk after dinner?”
Their “fully masked” walk was “not romantic at all,” Hilary, 36, told NBC Olympics. “But it was cute.”
“We didn’t have any family, we didn’t have any friends, we didn’t have any outside distractions,” Brittany explained, continuing the veteran speed skater. “And we really spent a lot of time getting to know each other.”
Although she won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters, leaving with her girlfriend in tow was “definitely the biggest victory I got out of Beijing.”
The couple’s home base is now Salt Lake City, and their off-ice hobbies include pickleball and gardening. Seattle Trent star forward Hilary hasn’t retired from hockey, but her fifth Olympics will be her last, and Brittany, the oldest member of the U.S. speed skating team, has decided to retire as a four-time Olympian.
“In the world of sports, I’m like an old lady right now,” Brittany said on NBC Olympics. “I’m very happy to have had such a long and successful career. It’s just time for me and I can’t wait to see what life holds next.”
