Love Triumphs: Slovakian Athlete Proposes at the World Championships

There was a surprise marriage proposal at the World Athletics Championship after 35km race walk

A Proposal Forged in Grit and Determination: Love Triumphs at the World Championships

Propose at the World Championships

In a heartwarming turn of events, Dominik Cerny and Hana Burzalova, Slovakian athletes competing at the World Athletics Championships, added an unforgettable chapter to their athletic journey. At the finish line of the grueling 35-kilometer race walk, Dominik knelt down, offering a proposal that left Hana both breathless and overjoyed.

Reflecting on the momentous occasion, Hana shared, “He saved me some seconds, I was really fast at the end of the race, and when I saw him I couldn’t hear anything but I was just shocked and I was full of emotions. It was really nice. Now when I’m thinking about it, it’s more and more emotional, because at the time it was really hard to absorb everything.”

The following day, the couple returned to the race finish line to relive the touching moment. Dominik, beaming with joy, lifted his new fiancée into his arms, twirling her around before sealing the moment with a kiss.

Race walker proposes after finish | World Athletics Championships Budapest 23

Throughout his race, Dominik carried the engagement ring, tucked safely in the pocket of his shorts. Concerned that he might lose it during the race, he confided, “I was always thinking ‘Is it there?'”

Hana, at 22, cherished the proposal, finding solace in the tender gesture after a challenging race. “The race was really tough for me yesterday,” she shared, “So, I’m glad that this helped me to recover faster and yeah, I knew that it was going to happen one day, but that it happened here, because we know each other and we are a couple (thanks to race walking) it was really nice.”

Their sights are now set on the Paris Olympics, where they hope to compete together in the marathon race walk mixed relay. While their journey in athletics continues, this cherished moment will forever be etched in their story.

Love, it seems, knows no bounds, not even the 35 kilometers of a race track.

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