Olympic runner Alice Finot has captured hearts at the Paris Summer Olympics not only with her exceptional athletic performance but also with a touching personal milestone.
Finot, a French athlete, set a new European women’s 3000m steeplechase record and then proposed to her longtime boyfriend, Spanish triathlete Bruno MartÃnez Bargiela.
During the women's 3000m steeplechase final, four athletes, including Finot, broke the nine-minute barrier for the first time. Finot finished in fourth place with a time of 8:58.67, following Winfred Yavi of Bahrain, Peruth Chemutai of Uganda, and Faith Cherotich of Kenya, who secured the medals.
After the race, Finot celebrated by running to the stands and proposing to Bargiela with an Olympic pin instead of a traditional ring. The emotional moment, captured by spectators, showed Finot pinning the pin to Bargiela’s shirt before they embraced and kissed.
In a post-race interview, Finot explained the significance of 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 narrowly missing a medal, Finot expressed satisfaction with her performance. “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 is now part of the memorable engagements at the Summer Games, adding a heartwarming chapter to her Olympic journey.
