French track and field athlete Alice Finot has made headlines not just for breaking a remarkable athletic feat but also for a heartwarming personal gesture at the Paris Olympics.
Finot, a 33-year-old first-time Olympian, finished fourth in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, narrowly missing a podium finish by just three seconds. Despite missing out on a medal, she broke the European steeplechase record with a time of 8:58.67.
This record-breaking time held a special significance for Finot as she had made a personal vow before the race: if she managed to run under nine minutes, she would propose to her boyfriend, Bruno Martinez Bargiela, a Spanish triathlete. The number nine had always been a lucky number for Finot, and with the couple having been together for nine years, she decided it was the perfect moment to take their relationship to the next level.
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True to her word, Finot ran to the stands moments after the race, found Bargiela, and dropped to one knee on the track. Instead of a traditional ring, she presented him with a pin she had raced with, engraved with the words “Love is in Paris.” The emotional gesture was met with tears and cheers from the crowd as Bargiela eagerly accepted the proposal, sealing their love in the City of Light.
Finot later commented on her unique proposal, saying, “I don’t like doing things like everyone else. Since he hadn’t done it yet, I thought maybe it was up to me.”
Figot’s proposal was not the only one to propose at the Olympic event this year: Pablo Simonet, an Argentinian men’s national handball team member, proposed to hockey player Maria Campoy in the Olympic Village, while badminton player Huang Yaqiong’s boyfriend proposed right after she won the gold medal.
Her romantic gesture, coupled with her record-breaking run, has since become one of the most memorable moments of the Paris 2024 Olympics, proving that love and sports can indeed go hand in hand.
