French runner Alice Finot has made headlines at the Paris Summer Olympics with not just her athletic prowess but also a heartwarming personal milestone.
Finot helped break the European women’s 3000m steeplechase record and then proposed to her longtime boyfriend, Spanish triathlete Bruno Martínez Bargiela.
During the women’s 3000m steeplechase final, four athletes broke the nine-minute barrier for the first time ever. Finot finished in fourth place with a time of 8:58.67, following medalists Winfred Yavi of Bahrain, Peruth Chemutai of Uganda, and Faith Cherotich of Kenya.
Following the race, Finot celebrated her achievement by rushing to the stands and proposing to Bargiela, using an Olympic pin instead of a traditional ring. The moment, captured by spectators, showed Finot pinning the accessory to Bargiela’s shirt before the couple embraced and shared a kiss.
In a post-race interview, Finot revealed the special significance behind her proposal. “I told myself that if I ran under nine minutes, knowing that nine is my lucky number and that we’ve been together for nine years, then I would propose,” she said. “Since he hadn’t done it yet, I thought maybe it was up to me.”
Despite finishing just shy of a medal, Finot expressed no regrets. “It was just a tiny bit missing to get a medal, but I don’t regret anything,” she said. “I had a blast and managed to express myself.”
Finot’s proposal adds to the growing list of memorable engagements at the Summer Games.
