There was something in the air at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on the final day of competition in the track cycling at Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. There was not one, but two proposals of marriage in the arena which has been packed over the past four days.
Shortly after the 7-12 classification keirin final, Chris Pritchard (SCO) left his bike on the track and disappeared into the seating. He climbed up to a row overlooking the highest part of the banking and embraced a young lady carrying a child before dropping to one knee to the cheers and delight of the crowd, watching the whole thing on the big screen.
Pritchard obviously received the answer he wanted becaise he gave a clenched fist salute to even more cheers.
Afterwards he said: “I started to plan this about six months ago when I knew I would be coming to the Games. I gave up the sport in 2011 and when I came back to it I wanted to do something to top even that.”
His partner, Amanda, holding the couple’s son Milo, said: “I genuinely didn’t know a thing about it. He always said that when he eventually proposed to me he’d make it big.”
After this romantic episode came news over the public address system that Women’s Para-Sport Time Trial Tandem silver medallist Aileen McGlynn (SCO) had also received a proposal of marriage – this time it was a behind-the-scenes plea – from her boyfriend Graeme Hinchliffe.
Similarly, McGlynn had no idea this was coming.
They first met when Glasgow-based McGlynn re-located to train in Manchester. The two lived in the same block of flats in the city but didn’t meet for over a year.
“I lived two flights up from her,” said Hinchliffe, a senior systems manager from Warrington, “and one day we met in the lift. A week later I popped my head out of the front door and asked her out. I planned the proposal more than a year ago.”
McGlynn, on hearing that there had been a rumour going round the velodrome about the proposal said: “Everyone knew about it before me, then.”
No special celebrations are planned apart from a meal together this evening. Hinchliffe returns to work next week, while McGlynn is staying on in Glasgow until the end of the Games. “I want to see some other sports,” she said, “probably wrestling and mountain biking – I can’t keep away from bikes.”