Love is in the air at the Olympics, but are public proposals going too far?

Asking somebody to marry you is one of the most intimate moments of your life.

Traditionally the setting might be a back garden, a favourite spot somewhere in the country, or (if you’re particularly keen to impress) a romantic location abroad.

Either way it’s something private shared between two people and then later on with family and friends. But not any longer it would seem. The rise of social media and the popularity of YouTube videos has led to people looking for ever more elaborate, and public, ways to make the ultimate romantic gesture.

And they don’t come much more public than in front of a huge global TV audience at the Olympic Games. This is exactly what Chinese diver Qin Kai did when he got down on one knee and asked his teammate and girlfriend He Zi to take an altogether different kind of plunge and marry him, just moments after she was awarded her silver medal in the 3m springboard event.

Zi appeared shocked, and covered her mouth before Qin placed the ring on her finger and gave a “thumbs up” to the spectators.

It wasn’t the first marriage proposal of the Games, though, coming days after Brazilian women’s rugby sevens player Isadora Cerullo was proposed to by her girlfriend.

Nor was it the last, with Tom Bosworth, a race walker for Team GB, tweeting a photo of him proposing to his boyfriend Harry Dineley on Copacabana Beach with the caption: “He said YES!!!”

The former Leeds Beckett University student finished sixth in the 20km event and is the third competitor at Rio to get engaged. But while Bosworth’s proposal was warmly greeted on social media, the Chinese diver Kai’s poolside declaration has been criticised for hijacking Zi’s big moment.

It has also prompted a discussion over whether or not public proposals are appropriate. There are many people who would be mortified if they found themselves in the spotlight like this. But there’s a growing trend of making big romantic gestures, whether it’s at the top of the Eiffel Tower or live on TV.

As well as being a life-changing moment, asking someone to marry you can also be stressful and awkward – throw in a load of onlookers and it can become even more daunting.

Cat Williams, an author and relationship expert, says public proposals have grown increasingly popular in the past few years. “It does seem to have become something of a phenomenon. “I spend a lot of time talking about the impact of social media and smartphones and it’s all about sharing and I think we’re seeing a similar thing with wedding proposals. What in the past was a very private and personal moment can now be shared with everyone.”

She believes it’s a generational thing. “The idea of being in the spotlight and sharing personal moments is normal to younger people because they’ve grown up with it,” she says. “If it’s done for the right reasons then great, but it can quickly end up being done for the wrong reasons with people feeling pressured into doing something to fit in.”

Wedding consultant Jo Bryant says it’s important to pick the right situation, where both people feel comfortable. But there are pitfalls. “It’s a risky business because there’s the chance of someone saying ‘no’ or getting embarrassed. You have to consider the person you’re proposing to.”

But is all a bit showy, or just a chance to share in a special moment? “Romance means different things to different people so if you’re the kind of person who likes to make public gestures then it will seem romantic, but if everyone started doing it I think we’d get bored of it pretty quickly.”