U.S. figure skater John Baldwin surprised his partner, Rena Inoue, by asking her to marry him after winning silver at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

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With the crowd at Xcel Arena in St. Paul, Minn., cheering their performance in the long program Saturday, Baldwin, with one knee on the ice, popped the question to his stunned girlfriend, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. With their images beaming on the giant video screens and fans shouting "Yes!, Yes!" Inoue responded in the affirmative, gave him a hug -- and they kissed.

"I told her how important she's been to my career," said Baldwin, 34. "She's meant the most to me, and it's because of her that I'm here. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

Inoue, 31, said she was "totally surprised."

"At first I was wondering if he was just kidding. Of course, I said yes," she said.