They called the meeting magic.

"I just felt like we had a lot of things we could talk about, a lot in common," Katy recalled.

In the following days, competitions granted them more chances to meet and about one year later, the shooters from two distant nations fell in love.

Matt proposed after half a year. "Close your eyes and wait here. I will be right back," he said. When Katy opened her eyes, her romantic lover brought back a ring.

Markswoman Katerina Emmons of Czech prepares for competition during women's 10m Air rifle final of Beijing Olympic Games at Beijing Shooting Range Hall in Beijing, China, Aug. 9, 2008. [Xinhua]

Their wedding ceremony was held on June 30 last year in Katy's hometown Plzen, the place where golden lager beer was born in 1842.

Reluctant to separate, they split time between the United States and Czech Republic after marriage. "She helps me in air rifle and I help her in small-bore," said the husband with happiness written on his face.

With rings on their fingers, the pair was seen at the World Cup Final in Bangkok in 2007, when Matt snatched a gold medal in rifle three positions and a silver in men's prone, while Katy, competing for the first time with her name as "Katy Emmons", got a bronze in air rifle.

During the final round of her wife's competition at Good Luck Beijing, Matt found a good position at the auditorium. Each time before his wife made a shot, he closed his eyes to pray, opening a few seconds later when Katy just aimed and clicked the trigger.

"With him by my side, I could concentrate more," said the contented lady after that event.

"We are competing like a team, maybe one of the best," she added four months later.

Believing that half of her job was done after the Olympic air rifle competition, Katy is still going to compete in women's 50-meter rifle three positions while Matt will be in both 50-meter rifle prone and three-positions events.

Katy had said she didn't care much about the outcome of this Olympics. "We will be happy at whatever result," she said.

She might have duel nationality in the future but that would be a long time later.

She planned to buy a house, have babies and start a family, but was unsure when the quit or if she would keep on competing.

For fairy tales, the ending normally is "prince and princess have their wishes fulfilled and live happily ever after".

(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2008)