THE Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome turned into the Lovedrome last night when, in tandem, two of Scotland's Commonwealth Games cycling team set wedding bells ringing.
Aileen McGlynn had just won her second silver medal of the games when the 41-year-old from Crookston raced into the arms of Graeme Hinchliffe in the foyer of the bustling arena.
Still wearing her cycling outfit, the three-times Paralympic gold medallist was swept off the ground, in every sense, as Graeme popped the question. He revealed he had been planning the moment for over a year, and said: "I couldn't let here leave here without some gold."
Aileen, a former winner in the Evening Times Scots Sportswoman of the Year, admitted she had no inkling about what was about to happen, and said: "This just makes it the perfect ending to my Glasgow Games. I really didn't expect this, and I couldn't be happier."
Having kept his intentions secret, Graeme explained the big problem now is how to fit in the wedding. He said: "We don't know when it will be because there is a lot going on at the moment.
"Aileen had no inkling this was going to happen today. She had been fishing, but I always played it down and told her I wasn't interested.
"I wanted it to be a surprise, and I got the reaction I had hoped for."
Before Ailleen and Graeme's happy news was broken to the cheering crowd, Chris Pritchard - a Sheffield-born cyclist with a Scots mother - alerted the PA announcer he was about to make a public proposal to his partner, Amanda.
With the images beamed on the giant screens in the velodrome, Pritchard ran up into the main stand, went down on one knee and popped the question.
Holding their baby in her arms, Amanda accepted his proposal, immediately making it a band-of-gold day for the man who had just failed to make into the final of the men's Kieren event.
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