American Winter Olympics athlete Sophia Kirkby may have narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the women's doubles luge event, but her social life at the Milan-Cortina Games has been nothing short of medal-worthy. The 24-year-old Olympian, who placed fifth alongside partner Chevonne Forgan, has been making headlines for her romantic adventures in Italy, most notably with a devoted fan who traveled over 600 miles from the United Kingdom just to see her.
From Instagram DMs to Italian Romance
Before arriving at the Olympic Village, Kirkby teased her followers with an Instagram video captioned 'Athlete Village's Most Eligible Bachelorette Arrives Tomorrow', writing: 'I've been so excited to enter the Olympic village. I'm happy to announce I'll be showing you the inside life of an Olympian dating at the Olympics. Stay tuned.' True to her word, she has been documenting her dating experiences, though carefully protecting her suitors' identities by covering their faces with pins in photos.
A Valentine's Day to Remember
The most remarkable of her encounters involved a fan who initially contacted her via Instagram direct messages several weeks before the Games. This admirer, an American currently based in the UK, surprised Kirkby by flying from London to Milan—a journey exceeding 600 miles—specifically to visit her in Cortina. Kirkby shared the details of their Valentine's Day date in a social media video, explaining: 'He's a guy who DMd me a couple of weeks ago... he said, "Hey, Sophia, would it be so weird, I found out I had a couple of days off, can I please come to Cortina and visit you?" I said, "Yeah why not?"'
Their date included a luxurious spa session followed by dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Kirkby raved about the experience, particularly the pasta: 'For the third course I had the best pasta I ever had. I'm going to be thinking about this pasta for years. Overall I had a really fun Valentine's Day.' She kept her followers updated throughout, posting: 'Valentine's Day, but make it recovery. Had the loveliest spa date today—bathrobes, sauna time, and a little reset after the most intense couple weeks of my life. Keeping his face private, but I'll say this: the company was very good and the vibes were very calm.'
Olympic Village Dating Scene
While some observers noted potential discrepancies between photos from the spa and restaurant—suggesting they might show different individuals—Kirkby is clearly embracing the dating opportunities available during her extended stay. As she told the New York Post: 'I'm fortunate that I'm one of the countries that gets to stay in the Olympic Village. The majority of my competitors I saw leave today, but fortunately for me, Team USA is one of the few countries that pays a premium for us to be here the entire time. So I'm just gonna have fun. It's my vacation time.'
Pickup Lines Preferred
Prospective suitors should note that Kirkby has specific expectations for those attempting to connect with her. She expressed disappointment with the lack of creativity in messages she receives: 'In my bio, I even said, "I'm Sophia. I'm an Olympian. Please give me your best pickup line." Maybe 2% of them are pickup lines. All they do is say, "Hi" or "Ciao." I was hoping that they would deliver, so I'm not going to respond to them.'
Kirkby's Olympic journey continues to captivate audiences both on and off the track, proving that for some athletes, the Games offer opportunities for personal connections that rival the thrill of competition.
