US hockey captain Knight admits she was more nervous about marriage proposal than Olympic final

United States ice hockey captain Hilary Knight demonstrated remarkable composure to guide her team to Olympic gold against Canada, later admitting she was more apprehensive about a marriage proposal than the high-stakes final itself.

Knight, who, like her partner, US speedskater Brittany Bowe, is competing in her final Games, concluded her Olympic career on a high note as the Americans clinched the title from their fiercest rivals on Thursday.

The US secured a 2-1 overtime victory, with their captain scoring the equalizing goal with just over two minutes remaining in regular time.

The day before the final, Knight shared her marriage proposal video on social media, a moment that had been weighing on her since the start of the tournament.

"I think I was more nervous for the proposal than I was for the gold medal game to be honest, and my legs felt like jello," Knight told reporters after the final.

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"I was kind of carrying that for the whole tournament, I was like, 'I just need to get this over with,' and I looked at the calendar and thought, 'well once we win this game we're not going to have much time'."

Knight and Bowe first met at the Beijing 2022 Games, a significant factor in Knight's decision to pop the question during the current competition.

"Call me crazy, but doing it before the gold medal game it just seemed fitting for us, we found one another through the Olympics and it was just really special," she added.

"To cap it all off with the gold medal is awesome and I can't wait to cheer her on for the 1,500 metres."

Knight is expected to be at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium on Friday, supporting two-time bronze medalist Bowe as she aims to conclude her Olympic career with a medal in the women's 1,500m, having previously finished fourth in both the 1,000m and the team pursuit.