In the game of love, these Olympic couples have struck gold.
With the Tokyo Games now well underway, we'd wager that Olympic enthusiasts like ourselves have already felt all the feels. From historic wins to inspiring stories and some seriously mind-blowing athleticism, this year's Games has delivered—and there's still an entire week left!
Noticeably absent, however, are the athletes' loved ones cheering from the stands. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most families to watch the from home, except for a small handful of Olympic athletes whose significant others also qualified for the Games.
Take Team USA fencers and married couple Lee Kiefer and Gerek Meinhardt for example, who remained unwavering in their support of each other when Gerek was eliminated early on and Lee made history as the first American woman to win the gold in individual foil.
"Wanted to let you all know that I'm doing okay and have appreciated all the encouragement!" Gerek shared on Instagram after losing, while adding in a separate post, "My wife just made my Olympic dream complete @leetothekiefer. Words can't describe how bad she wanted this, how hard she worked, or how proud of her I am."
Go inside the love lives of Tokyo's Olympic couples in our gallery below!
Sport: Tara represents the U.S.'s track and field team in the women's long jump event, while Hunter—who is already a two-time medalist—qualified for the Tokyo Paralympic Games by winning the 400-meter dash.
What to Know: Four years after a high school track meet fittingly brought these two together, their love shines brighter than gold. Tara has described Hunter as "my rock, my best friend, and everything combined into one human being."
Sport: The couple plays for Great Britain's women's rugby sevens team.
What to Know: Megan and Celia became LGBTQ+ trailblazers without even realizing it. By simply "being authentic and true to who we are," Megan has said, they're advocating for inclusivity and acceptance.
Sport: Alise, a three-time Olympian and silver medalist in BMX for the U.S., is coached by her Australian husband, who also took home silver when he competed in BMX at the London 2012 Games.
What to Know: Close to five years ago, Sam was paralyzed in a training accident. By turning his pain into purpose, he returned to the track as Alise's coach, something she considers the "biggest win."
Sport: These British cyclists share a combined 10 Olympic gold medals and one silver. At this year's Games, both Laura and Jason are vying to become Great Britain's most-decorated Olympian. Casual!
What to Know: Following a four-year courtship, Laura and Jason (known to Brits as the sport's "golden couple") wed in 2016. One year later they welcomed son Albert, who is surely cheering mum and dad on from home.
Sport: Tyrone is a four-time Olympic long jumper for Bermuda, while Sandi rocks red, white and blue in pole vault and won silver at the 2016 Rio Games.
What to Know: The husband-and-wife team's love story is "very embedded in the Olympics," with Tyrone once explaining, "Rio is really where we got to know each other, spend time together, and I would go as far as to say we fell in love."
Sport: While most athletes' loved ones are unable to attend this year's games, this two-time Olympian in the shot put hit the jackpot when his wife Ashley also became his coach.
What to Know: Their partnership on and off the field gives Joe an edge over their competition. Ashley put it best when she said, "Maybe in a normal coach-athlete situation, you're not as willing to be that vulnerable or expressive about how you're actually feeling."
Sport: Sue (who carried the American flag at the Opening Ceremony) plays on the women's basketball team, while Megan lends her talents to women's soccer.
What to Know: As two of the most revered figures in women's sports, it's only natural that their love story would begin at the Olympics. Sue and Megan's chemistry first sparked when they crossed paths at a photo shoot for the 2016 Rio Games, and four years later they got engaged.
Sport: Lee, a three-time Olympian, and Gerek, a four-time Olympian, are fencers on Team USA. In Tokyo, Lee made history as the first American woman to take home gold in individual foil competition.
What to Know: After tying the knot in 2019, the couple set their sights on yet another impressive career goal. Both Lee and Gerek are medical students at the University of Kentucky.
Sport: Both Charlotte and Lewis play for Australia's women's and men's rugby teams, respectively.
What to Know: After competing at their second Olympic Games, the pair is looking forward to their wedding, which was postponed to late 2021 because of the pandemic. "I'd bought the wedding dress," Charlotte remarked. "That's in a box and I don't want to take a look in case I hate it by this December."
Sport: The engaged couple competed against each other in Tokyo, with Anissa playing for Mexico and Amanda the U.S., which won silver. Despite Mexico falling short of the medal podium, they'll both get to play again after being selected for the Olympic softball all-tournament team.
What to Know: Their love never looked more unconditional when Amanda shared to Instagram, "We know that our life together has its own identity, and win or lose nothing will change that. While we do step on the field as opponents, we step off as fiancé's."
Sport: Great Britain selected Marcus and Ellen to represent the country in the mixed doubles badminton event.
What to Know: Just three years after playing together for the first time, the pair has shown they're stronger together. When they lost in the quarter-finals in Tokyo, Marcus shared on Instagram, "I want to say a massive thank you to Lauren who brought the absolute best out in me at these games given the horrendous preparation leading up to it. You know when to kick me in the ass but also know when to let me do my own thing and without that, I wouldn't have been anywhere near ready for some of the most important matches we will play in our career."