Alice Finot had an unforgettable day at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She didn’t just break a record—she got engaged!
Competing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for Team France, Finot finished fourth with a time of 8:58.67, shattering the European record, though she missed out on a medal.
Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi clinched the gold in an Olympic record time of 8:52.76, followed by Peruth Chemutai of Uganda in second and Faith Cherotich of Kenya taking the bronze.
But it was what happened after the race that stole the spotlight.
French athlete Alice Finot broke the European record in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing fourth in the final at the Paris Olympics. After the race, she proposed to her boyfriend, who accepted the proposal. pic.twitter.com/1MBf6t33Ri
— Jumbo Idawarifagha (@JumboIdawarifa3) August 7, 2024
In a heartwarming moment captured on video, Finot approached her boyfriend, Spanish triathlete Bruno Martínez Bargiela, got down on one knee, and proposed right there in the crowd. The couple has been together for nine years and surely enjoyed this special moment.
Interestingly, Finot wasn’t alone in celebrating love at the Olympics. Chinese badminton player Huang Ya Qiong also got engaged to her teammate Li Yuchen right after winning gold in the mixed doubles event. Huang expressed her surprise, stating, “I have been preparing for the game… so that’s something I didn’t expect.”
Finot’s record-breaking yet fourth-place finish capped an exciting event in women’s steeplechase history.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Yavi’s victory marked Bahrain’s third Olympic gold medal, making history as the second woman from the nation to win the steeplechase title, following Ruth Jebet‘s gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Born in Kenya, Yavi switched her allegiance to Bahrain to pursue her Olympic dreams. In a thrilling finish, she managed to pull ahead of Chemutai in the last stretch of the race, claiming her well-deserved victory.
Despite the fierce competition, Finot’s engagement became the standout moment outside of the race itself, marking a day of achievements on and off the track.