She said yes: Ukrainian big air skier gets engaged on Valentine's Day at the Olympics

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Love was in the air — make that the big air — for freeskier Kateryna Kotsar of Ukraine on Valentine’s Day.

On a cold, perfect evening in the Italian Alps, Kotsar got the sweetest gift of all after she qualified for the Olympic big air final Friday night. Her boyfriend, Bohdan Fashtryha, dropped to one knee and popped the question.

Kotsar said yes.

Isn’t that romantic?

“I think he was nervous enough. It was so cute to be honest,” Kotsar said, showing off her glittering diamond ring while still in her crash helmet and snow-splattered ski suit.

“I’m still excited and can’t understand what happened tonight because it’s two really huge things for me,” she said after qualifying for Monday's big air final, where the 25-year-old will compete against defending champion Eileen Gu and 10 others for a spot on the podium.

Kotsar, a Kyiv native, is well aware her Olympic engagement offers a welcome distraction from the realities in her war-torn country.

“You live without electricity, without heating, without opportunity to wash your clothes and do some pretty simple things” in Kyiv, she said.

Kotsar also spoke of the tinge of guilt she experiences when she is abroad, training in Austria or Switzerland for long spells.

“I have time to relax in a warm shower and something like that,” she said, contrasting that experience with what her family is going through. “And they don't have this opportunity so much like me. So it’s really hard for them.”

Kotsar, who ranks fifth in the big air standings this season, said that she had a premonition something important was going to happen when she woke up Saturday. But even though it was Feb. 14, having her boyfriend of two-and-a-half years ask for her hand was not what she was thinking.

“(Sometimes) I have some feelings that something great will happen and today I had that feeling, but I (thought) it’s about finals,” she said with a laugh.

As if Saturday night wasn’t special enough, Kotsar’s parents were with her in Livigno to watch her jump in person for the very first time.

“Usually my mom said it’s too nervous for her, and she just waits for my call after competition when I said everything OK, I didn’t crash,” Kotsar said.

On this memorable night, everything was more than OK.

Now that she has a diamond, could there be some gold, silver or bronze to go with it?

“I have a few tricks to try here, and we’ll see,” she said.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Attendees cheer for Ukraine's Kateryna Kotsar during women's freestyle skiing slopestyle qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Ukraine's Kateryna Kotsar crashes as she competes in the women's freestyle skiing big air qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Ukraine's Kateryna Kotsar gets a proposal from Bogdan Fashtryga, front, as she competes in the women's freestyle skiing big air qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Ukraine's Kateryna Kotsar gets a proposal from Bogdan Fashtryga, front, as she competes in the women's freestyle skiing big air qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Ukraine's Kateryna Kotsar gets a proposal from Bogdan Fashtryga, front, as she competes in the women's freestyle skiing big air qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s healthy and wants to play even as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to say the two-time MVP is too injured to take the floor.

Antetokounmpo missed a 10th straight game on Friday night against the Boston Celtics due to what the team has described as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since landing awkwardly during a March 15 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

“I’m healthy,” Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic before Friday’s game. “I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.”

For the last couple of weeks, Antetokounmpo has participated in pregame warmups without showing any apparent signs of injury.

Antetokounmpo also noted that the Bucks should have known this about him since the 31-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.

Throughout that time, Antetokounmpo has had a reputation for rapid returns from injury, most notably when he hyperextended his knee during Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff run but missed two games before returning to lead the Bucks to their first title in half a century.

“You know who you’re dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.”

The Bucks still had a remote chance of earning a 10th straight playoff berth at the time of that Indiana game, but they were officially eliminated from contention last week. There’s also the possibility of Antetokounmpo getting hurt again if he returns to action — he has missed a career-high 41 games this season and had two extended absences due to calf strains.

“I understand the circumstances — yes, we’re not going to be in the playoffs,” Antetokounmpo said. “For some people’s eyes, it’s not worth it for me to be out there. But for me, it’s something that goes against my nature.”

Antetokounmpo also wanted the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Alex, who made his NBA debut Sunday. There was a possibility of three Antetokounmpo brothers playing alongside each other in the same game, since Giannis’ older brother, Thanasis, also is on the Bucks.

“When my dad passed away, I pretty much raised (Alex),” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s able to be on the team and suit up and chase an opportunity to be great. You really think I don’t want to suit up and play with my brother? Anybody who thinks that is an idiot.”

Antetokounmpo’s desire to play — and the Bucks’ wishes to rest him — drew the attention of the National Basketball Players Association last month.

“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union said in a statement. “Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”

This dispute between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks comes at a time when his future in Milwaukee is uncertain. Antetokounmpo’s name dominated league-wide discussions leading up to the trade deadline, though the Bucks ultimately kept him.

Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.

Now they find themselves at odds over how to handle the rest of this season.

“I don’t know where the relationship goes from there,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve got to go to couples therapy.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Injured Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, center right, talks with an official, center left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)