Olympic hopeful lands Paris Hilton's number

What's a good way to take a break from the grueling training schedule ahead of the Olympic Trials?

For distance runner Nick Symmonds, it's having drinks with socialite Paris Hilton at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

A member of the 2008 Olympic team, Symmonds was in Beverly Hills when he got an email from Hilton, who was in New York, that she'd love to meet up with him when she got back to Los Angeles.

Symmonds suggested the Beverly Hills Hotel, a world-famous destination known for its privacy.

Knowing full well Hilton's love for the color pink, the 28-year-old decided to pick up an assortment of pink-themed gifts to give her on their date. According to The Rundown, Symmonds assembled a basket containing:

  • A pink Timex Ironman watch
  • A package of SnoBalls
  • A pink bottle of bubble bath
  • A pink-and-white beach towel from the Beverly Hills Hotel
  • A pink luggage tag and coin purse from the Beverly Hills Hotel
  • Edelweiss Chocolates

Symmonds, who specializes in the 800 and 1,500 meters, admitted that he was a tad starstruck at the beginning of the date:

"There were the first two or three minutes where I was thinking to myself, 'I can't believe I'm here sitting in The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel having a gin and tonic with Paris Hilton, while she's sipping a mint mojito."

He eventually loosened up and sung the praises of the 31-year-old blonde bombshell after the date, which lasted about 90 minutes:

"We talked a lot about travel and how important family is to both of us. We talked about our pets, and I showed her a picture of my pet bunny Mortimer, who she instantly fell in love with. It was a really casual, fun date with a beautiful, highly-intelligent woman."

Symmonds had to get to the airport to catch a flight back to Oregon, but said that he was pleasantly surprised to find an email from Hilton with her phone number. He said that they'd been texting and hoped to stay in touch.

"[The date] ranks right up there with making my first Olympic team," Symmonds said.

Which do you think would be a fonder memory: a date with a celebrity or representing the U.S. at the Olympics?

H/T to NBC Olympics' The Rundown