ROWING: Olympic champion Reed pops the question (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Double cause for celebration as rowing champion proposes

11:31am Wednesday 15th August 2012 in Sport

OLYMPIC rowing champion Pete Reed got engaged at the London 2012 closing ceremony.

Reed found his girlfriend Frauke Oltmanns in the crowd, dropped down on one knee and proposed.

His team-mates, Alex Gregory, Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge, with whom he won gold in the Men’s Four just days earlier, were all on hand.

Reed, a former Cirencester Deer Park pupil, told Daybreak: “I got engaged last night at the closing ceremony which was really nice. I had my guys there with me.

“It was in the middle while everybody was having a big party, I managed to find my way into the crowd and did it all properly. I found her. I knew where she was sitting. I had a quick chat. It was wonderful. We are both thrilled.”

Reed, who is in the Royal Navy and a former Oxford Blue, had his 31st birthday on the day the Olympics opened on July 27.

His fiance is German and works in the marketing industry.

Reed, whose family live in Nailsworth, is to be honoured with a civic reception and open top bus tour of the town on Saturday, September 15.

This year’s victory in the Men’s Coxless Four means that Peter now has two Olympic gold medals as well as three silver medals in the World Championships.