Knight struck by Cupid’s Bowe: How Hilary Knight and Brittany Bowe fell in love at the Winter Olympics
Olympic ice hockey champion Hilary Knight and speed skating world record holder Brittany Bowe had crossed paths for years, moving through the same Olympic circles, each excelling at the very top of their sport.
But at Beijing 2022, something shifted.
After long competition days, the two began taking evening walks together to unwind from the intensity of Olympic competition. The initial friendship gradually gave way to something deeper.
“It was just a really good way to get to know her, going for walks, getting out of our suites,” Knight told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.
“To have that human connection, even walking outside at a distance, it was really cool.”
Those walks soon turned into meals in the Village, conversations, and a bond that grew steadily stronger.
“We really got to know each other in Beijing and have really been inseparable ever since,” Bowe said, adding that she knew “very quickly” that this woman would be in her life for a long time.
For Bowe, the turning point came in discovering the person behind the legendary “Captain America” moniker.
“Knowing her as a hockey player, it’s like this big, strong, powerful female,” she explained. “But then, when we got to know each other, she was soft, genuine, kind, almost shy. That really sparked my interest.”
Knight also did not need long to recognise the feeling. “I knew immediately. I was like, this person’s the one.”
Between them, the two athletes have six Olympic medals, 36 world championship medals, and countless records. And heading into Milano Cortina 2026, both Knight and Bowe announced that these Games will be their last.
Through this first Olympic cycle as a couple, they have experienced each other’s worlds from the stands as well as at home.
“I’ve been able to take my competitive hat off and just be a fan,” Bowe said. “Getting to watch her and the U.S.-Canada rivalry has been wild.”
“We’re living with someone who gets it,” Knight agreed. “There’s no wasted energy on not understanding what the other does. We know when to support, when to step in.”
Yet while their careers may be nearing the ends of their Olympic chapters, both see the road ahead together.
“I hope we can continue to make a positive impact,” Bowe said. “We can just continue to be this power couple.”
Knight has advanced into the semi-finals with Team USA women’s ice hockey on Monday (16 February), while Bowe prepares to skate in her second race, the 1500m, on Sunday (15 February), after placing fourth in the 1000m.
Check out the video below for their full story.
