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Breezy Johnson engaged after Winter Olympics crash as Taylor Swift reacts

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Fri, 13 Feb 2026, 2:34pm
Connor Watkins proposing to Breezy Johnson at the Winter Olympics. Photo / @breezyjohnsonski
Connor Watkins proposing to Breezy Johnson at the Winter Olympics. Photo / @breezyjohnsonski

Breezy Johnson engaged after Winter Olympics crash as Taylor Swift reacts

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Fri, 13 Feb 2026, 2:34pm

American Winter Olympian Breezy Johnson may have missed out on a gold medal after crashing on the Super-G run but still got some jewellery at the bottom of the slope: an engagement ring.

Johnson’s boyfriend, Connor Watkins, dropped a knee near the finish line to propose to the Olympian in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, surrounded by the US ski team with the crowd looking on.

It was not the first success of the Games for Johnson. On Sunday she won gold for the downhill race but her win was overshadowed after famed alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn broke her leg in the same race.

Johnson took to Instagram to celebrate.

“Hey guys ... meet Connor! My ex boyfriend! And current fiance!!! Thank you to everyone who made this moment possible. It was everything I ever dreamed of. Kind of like Connor!”

Breezy Johnson's wedding ring and the piece of wood with Taylor Swift's lyrics. Photo / @breezyjohnsonski

Breezy Johnson's wedding ring and the piece of wood with Taylor Swift's lyrics. Photo / @breezyjohnsonski

Johnson said to reporters afterwards it had always been a dream to get engaged at the Winter Olympics.

However, Watkins told the Washington Post he was unsure about the proposal after Johnson crashed out of the race and sent a member of the team to check if she was in the right frame of mind.

“His words were so beautiful,” Johnson told NPR. “I was just crying and thinking about how much I love him.”

The engagement post even caught the eye of pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Along with the ring, Watkins gave his fiancee a piece of wood engraved with Swift’s lyrics, “honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy”?

Swift commented on the post saying, ”where’s the trophy? He just comes running over to me CONGRATULATIONS“!

Her comment alone has racked up over 37,330 likes.

Breezy Johnson and her fiance Connor Watkins. Photo / @breezyjohnsonski

Breezy Johnson and her fiance Connor Watkins. Photo / @breezyjohnsonski

This particular love story started online via a dating app. The pair told reporters they met on Bumble and went out to brunch.

Watkins, who works in construction, did not know he was sitting down with one of the world’s best skiers.

“I had no idea who she was,” Watkins said.

“Ten minutes into the conversation, I was, like, ‘hey, so what do you do’? And that was an interesting answer at first. I was a little taken aback.”

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