Taking a Dive

Unless you're avoiding all 2016 Rio Olympics coverage, you've seen at least an image of Qin Kai proposing to He Zi while He Zi was on the podium during her medal ceremony. Here's coverage from the National Public Radio (that's USA) website.

He Zi of China was standing on the podium after receiving a silver medal for diving in Rio on Sunday when her boyfriend, fellow diver Qin Kai, pulled out a ring and proposed marriage. It's the second proposal of the Rio Games.

Moments before Sunday's proposal, He had been dueling teammate and world champion Shi Tingmao for the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard final. It was shortly after the medal presentation that Qin — who owns gold medals from previous Olympics and has won bronze here in Rio — seized the moment.

"We are dating now for over six years, and I didn't know he would do this proposal," He said, according to the Federation Internationale de Natation, which oversees diving.

With tears and a hug, He accepted Qin's proposal.

I have heard/read a lot of "enlightened, strong" women denouncing the guy's timing, saying nothing should have been attached to, or inserted into, her moment. If she was upset, she didn't let on.

"I've forgotten most of what he's said [during the proposal], but it's largely what you can expect like promises, but what touched me the most is that he said he was willing to be bullied by me for life."

Hah hah... ho ho... heh heh... funny, right? Maybe something is missed in translation?

Sounds like others around were fine with it, too.

If you're wondering how the dramatic moment struck the other athletes on the podium with He — her teammate Shi, along with bronze medalist Tania Cagnotto of Italy — it turns out they already knew.

Shi said, "They have passed through a lot of things over the last years, and this is the perfect moment to do this proposal. I am very happy for both of them."

Cagnotto says, "Shi Tingmao knew about the surprise before the medal ceremony and told me, so I was informed. Anyway, it was a very nice moment."

Even if the bride-to-be and everyone else was really happy, the timing apparently offended feminist sensibilities, as they are hypersensitive (overyacting?) when it comes to their occupations not being taken as seriously as the occupations of men. But often, many women don't take their occupations as seriously as men take theirs, or they willingly place more importance on their husband's career & earnings.

But that is digressing.

This guy probably put a lot of time and effort into thinking up and planning what he thought was a best time to propose. And he's getting crapped on. He wouldn't have gotten any trouble from feminists if he never proposed but kept her as a girlfriend. I have no idea what marriage means for men in China. If he was anywhere in the Anglosphere, he'd be taking on a huge set of restrictions and risk with no upside. He could've saved himself a lot of grief in the short term and the long term by not bothering to propose.