Ukrainian freestyle skier Kateryna Kotsar had a Valentine’s Day to remember, clinching a spot in the Winter Olympics big air medals contest and receiving a marriage proposal on the slopes.
Kotsar landed two strong jumps in Monday’s qualifying round, securing 11th place – just above the cutoff of 12 skiers advancing to the final.
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Minutes after her final run, her boyfriend, Bohdan Fashtryha, surprised her by getting down on one knee at the side of the Alpine slope. She said yes.
“I think he was nervous. It was so cute, to be honest,” the 25-year-old Kotsar told reporters.
Fashtryha told Suspilne Sport that he had been planning the proposal for two years. When their relationship began, Kotsar had been considering whether to continue her sports career.
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With support from her parents, Fashtryha convinced her to stay in the sport.
“She was really thinking about whether to continue her athletic career. I, along with her parents, encouraged her to go on, because the chance to go to the Olympics is unique and can’t be missed. I imagined this moment even back then – two years ago. Since then, so many things have happened, and now Katya is at the Olympics. The brave find happiness. It just so happened that I could be here,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Kotsar had a hard crash on her third run, sending both skis and goggles flying – but her strong first two jumps secured her place in the final. After the proposal, she removed her ski glove to show off her engagement ring.
Kotsar also revealed a message on her glove that read “Freedom of memory”, a gesture of solidarity with skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified by the IOC for wearing a “memory helmet” honoring fallen Ukrainian defenders and athletes.
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“I still am excited and can’t understand what happened tonight because it’s two really huge things for me,” Kotsar said.
Her final Olympic performance is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 16, at 8:30 p.m. Kyiv time.