MILAN (AP) — A ring first, and then a medal.
One day before the Olympic women's hockey final, U.S. captain Hilary Knight proposed to American speedskater Brittany Bowe on Wednesday at the Milan Cortina Games.
The couple first revealed the news by posting a video on Instagram with the caption, “Olympics brought us together.” The video shows Knight dropping to one knee and presenting Bowe with a ring. A surprised Bowe nods yes, and Knight then slips the ring on her finger.
“It’s been in the back of my mind for a few months now,” Knight said later, after the Americans' final practice before they face Canada for the gold medal.
“We met through the Olympics and just being a part of the Olympic spirit and the journey, I thought it would be a really full-circle moment for both of us considering it’s our last time through to be able to celebrate it here and tie the knot,” added Knight, whose 14 Olympic goals are tied for the most by a U.S. women's player.
The 36-year-old Knight previously announced these would be her team-record fifth and final Games. And she will leave Italy with a record fifth medal. It’s the fourth and final Olympics for the 37-year-old Bowe, a two-time bronze medalist.
The couple met at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. And they grew closer at the 2022 Beijing Games — where they were limited to the athletes' village because of COVID-19 restrictions — by taking long walks together between competitions.
Knight said she long ago bought the ring and made the decision to propose at the Olympics, but didn’t have a specific day. She finally decided on Wednesday so the couple could celebrate while their families and friends were still in Milan.
Knight found a quiet spot outside the athletes' village to pop the question.
She also had help getting the ring to Italy. Rather than risk Bowe finding the ring box in their luggage, Knight had Bowe’s sister bring it separately. They made the exchange during a gathering after a hockey game.
“The sister knew but our families, we didn’t tell them,” Knight said. “We didn’t want anything to get out there because everyone would be super excited about it.”
Knight's teammates were thrilled.
“I almost fell off the table this morning when she told me,” forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “I’ve been like a little kid all morning. We haven’t seen Brit yet, but I can’t wait to see her, so we’re very excited.”
Bowe failed to medal in her first two events, finishing fourth in the 1,000 meters and women’s team pursuit. She will close the Games by competing in the 1,500 meters on Friday.
Before the Games, Bowe was excited to share the Olympic experience with Knight after they spent the past four years attending each other's competitions.
“It’s been a really fun journey the past four years, to be able to celebrate each other’s accomplishments,” Bowe said.
“It’s really been fun for me to be a fan, to be able to go to different Team USA events and not be the one stressed out about having to compete,” she added. “Being able to be a fan is a new role that I’ve been able to take on here and there. It’s just been so much fun to be able to do this together.”
AP National Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Brittany Bowe of the U.S. skates to a fourth place in the women's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
United States' Hilary Knight celebrates with teammates after scoring her sides fourth goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between the United States and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
NEVADA CITY, Calif. (AP) — Crews found the bodies of eight backcountry skiers near California's Lake Tahoe and were searching for one more after they were caught in an avalanche, the nation's deadliest in nearly half a century, authorities said Wednesday.
Authorities said the skiers had little time to react.
“Someone saw the avalanche, yelled avalanche, and it overtook them rather quickly,” said Capt. Russell “Rusty” Greene, of the Nevada County sheriff’s office.
Six from the guided tour were rescued six hours after the avalanche hit Tuesday morning during a three-day trek in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada, as a monster winter storm pummeled the West Coast.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said investigators would look into the decision to proceed with the trip despite the forecast for relentless weather.
Authorities have told the families the mission has moved from rescuing people to recovering bodies, Moon said during a news conference.
The victims, including three guides, were found fairly close together, Greene said. The dead and missing include seven women and two men, ranging in ages from 30 to 55. The crews have not yet been able to remove the victims from the mountain because of the extreme conditions, the sheriff said.
Three to six feet of snow has fallen since Sunday, when the group started its trip. The area was also hit by subfreezing temperatures and gale force winds. The Sierra Avalanche Center said the threat of more avalanches remained Wednesday and left the snowpack unstable and unpredictable in an area known for its steep, craggy cliffs.
Rescuers reached the survivors just before sunset on Tuesday.
The skiers all had beacons that can send signals to rescuers and at least one of the guides was able to send texts, but it wasn't clear if they were wearing avalanche bags, which are inflatable devices that can keep skiers near the surface, Greene said.
While they waited to be rescued, the survivors used equipment to shelter themselves and fend off temperatures dipping below freezing. The survivors located three others who had died during the wait, Moon said.
Rescuers used a snowcat to get within 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the survivors, then skied in carefully so they didn't set off another avalanche, the sheriff said.
One of those rescued remains in a hospital Wednesday, Moon said.
The area near Donner Summit is one of the snowiest places in the Western Hemisphere and until just a few years ago was closed to the public. It sees an average of nearly 35 feet (10 meters) of snow a year, according to the Truckee Donner Land Trust, which owns a cluster of huts where the group was staying near Frog Lake.
The avalanche is the deadliest in the U.S. since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington. Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center.
It was the second deadly avalanche near California's Castle Peak this year, after a snowmobiler was buried by one in January.
Greene said authorities were notified about the avalanche by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which was leading the expedition, and the skiers’ emergency beacons. The sheriff’s office said Tuesday night that 15 backcountry skiers had been on the trip, not 16 as initially believed.
One skier had pulled out at the last minute, Moon said.
Authorities were waiting to release the victims' names to give the families time. “They’re still reeling,” Moon said. “I could not imagine what they’re going through.”
The skiers were on the last day of the backcountry trip and had spent two nights in the huts, said Steve Reynaud, an avalanche forecaster with the Sierra Avalanche Center. He said the area requires navigating rugged mountainous terrain. All food and supplies need to be carried to the huts.
Reaching the huts in winter takes several hours and requires backcountry skills, avalanche training and safety equipment, the land trust says on its website.
The area near Donner Summit was closed for nearly a century before it was reopened by the land trust and its partners in 2020. Donner Summit is named for the infamous Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the winter of 1846-1847.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement that the group, including four guides, was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche occurred.
When asked what went through her mind as her staff and volunteers responded to the scene, Moon said she was hoping they would be able to make it there safely. Once they did, she said she was “immediately thinking of the folks that didn’t make it, and knowing our mission now is to get them home.”
Watson reported from San Diego and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; and Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon updates media on rescue efforts following an avalanche at a news conference in Nevada City, Calif. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)
A road is cleared during a snow storm on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Snow covers a street sign on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Nevada County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Cars are covered in snow during a snow storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Trucks are lined up along Interstate 80 during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
A vehicle is buried in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
A road is plowed during a snow storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Nevada County Sheriff's Office via AP)
