French athlete Alice Finot capped off her record-breaking performance at the Paris Olympics with a surprise proposal to her boyfriend, who was cheering her on from the stands, the Connexion newspaper reports.
Finot, 33, finished fourth in the 3000m steeplechase final, shattering the European record with a time of 8:58.67, her personal best. Despite narrowly missing a medal, she celebrated her accomplishment by racing to the stands and getting down on one knee for her partner, fellow athlete Bruno Martínez Bargiela.
“I told myself that if I ran under nine minutes, knowing that nine is my lucky number and we’ve been together nine years, then I would propose,” Finot told reporters after the race. “I don’t like doing things the same way as everyone else. Since he hadn’t done it yet, I thought that maybe it was up to me.”
Instead of a ring, Finot proposed with a pin that read “love is in Paris.”
“He’s the one who always gives me strength,” Finot said, confirming that Bargiela had said “yes.”
The romantic gesture added a heartwarming touch to Finot’s Olympic performance.
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