Bart Lambriex did not wait for the Olympics to end before proposing to his longtime girlfriend Odile van Anholt. He asked her to marry him less that a month earlier.

Van Aanholt, after training on her 49erFX, told how Lambriex, 25, had a ring placed in the dessert of a Michelin starred restaurant near Amsterdam.

The 26-year old woman said that the diamond on her finger was "super romantic" after she finished cleaning her boat with Annette Duetz, and changed out of sailing gear following a rigorous practice drill.

Van Aanholt said, "I was really happy that he did it. I felt a sense of ease and also had a slight thought of 'I realize the Olympics are important, but they're not as important anymore. I've won this year.'"

They first met in their early teens when they raced Optimist dinghies. They had been close friends for a while before they got together at the age of 18 or 19.

Van Aanholt said, "We both were in the sailing academy talent pool at the time. You spent a lot time abroad. It was a fun time getting to know one another."

The sailors who both won world titles in their respective classes, and will compete in the upcoming Women's America's Cup and Youth America's Cup, initially only met when sailing, because Van Aanholt was going home to Curacao.

Van Aanholt acknowledges that the two do discuss sailing at home.

"Bart loves all types of sailing." He plays video games at home when he's not sailing. For me, it can be less but is still very valuable, because you both understand each other if you get lost or need to go over what happened.

She said that it was helpful to share the recognition with her fiance who was also practicing in his two-man skiff.

Just, Lambriex's brother, is also representing Aruba at the ILCA 7. (Reporting and editing by Toby Davis; Alexander Smith)