August 05, 2024

Olympic rower from Kennett Square proposes to girlfriend on 'Today' show

Justin Best, who won a gold medal with the U.S. men's four rowing team last week, asked Lainey Duncan to marry him in Paris. She said yes.

By Kristin Hunt
PhillyVoice Staff

Sarah Phipps/USA TODAY SPORTS

Olympic rower Justin Best (second from right) proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lainey Duncan in Paris during a live 'Today' show segment. The U.S. men's four rowing team won its first gold medal in 64 years on Aug. 1.

After helping the U.S. men's four rowing team clinch its first gold medal in 64 years, Justin Best had just one more thing to do before he left Paris: Ask his girlfriend to marry him.

MORE: M. Night Shyamalan's 'Trap' was set in Philly, but it clearly wasn't filmed here

Best, a Kennett Square native and Drexel University grad, proposed to his girlfriend of nine years, Lainey Duncan, live on the "Today" show Monday morning. The rower brought out 2,738 yellow roses, carried by family members, to represent the couple's current Snapchat streak before popping the question. Duncan said yes.

Gold medal winning rower Justin Best just proposed to his girlfriend Lainey, live on TODAY! 😭💍

Each yellow rose represents the time they've been together and the days they've have had a Snapchat streak! 🌼🥹 pic.twitter.com/mobeT00SHb
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 5, 2024

Duncan joined Best and the "Today" hosts on camera for an interview seemingly about his team's Aug. 1 victory. But the questions soon turned personal, with Hoda Kotb casually asking, "How long have y'all been dating?" Kotb then asked if Best's family had flown to Paris for the games. "Are they around? Could we have the rest of the family?" she asked, turning to face the crowd.

A line of people, apparently Best's family members, then walked behind the couple, carrying bouquets and heaping baskets of flowers. After they were in place, Best took a ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee.

"Lainey Olivia Duncan, you are the love of my life," he said. "You have been with me since day one. I knew you were special the moment I said, it was our first date, ... I said to you I wanted to go to the Olympics and you, without questions, said 'yeah, absolutely, go for it.' You are stunningly beautiful and ferociously intelligent. Your kindness is ... leaps and bounds. I don't know anyone that doesn't love you. This is going to be the easiest question of my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and raise a family together. Lainey, will you marry me?"

Duncan accepted to cheers, whistles and applause.

Like Best, Duncan is from Kennett Square and attended Drexel, where she danced on the spirit team. According to her LinkedIn, she is currently an associate designer with the clothing brand Marine Layer.

Best later joked that he was "just as nervous as (he) was lining up for the start line." He and teammates Michael Grady, Liam Corrigan and Nick Mead — a Strafford native and Princeton University rower — prevailed over New Zealand last week to take home the gold medal in men's four rowing. The United States has not taken the top prize in that category since 1960. In an earlier "Today" interview, Best revealed that he listened to Jason Kelce's 2018 Super Bowl parade speech as a "hype up moment" before the race.