Alice Finot. Abaca Press

Watch: French runner proposes after Olympic race, but there's a twist

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated Aug 8, 2024 3:07 PM ET

A French runner pulled off a surprising move after competing in her Olympic race on Tuesday in Paris.

Alice Finot finished fourth in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:58.67. After finishing the race, Finot got an Olympic pin that said “Love is in Paris” and put it on her boyfriend’s shirt.

Finot then got down on one knee and proposed to boyfriend Bruno Martinez, who is a triathlete from Spain.

French athlete came in fourth in the 3000m steeplechase, a European record, and asked for her boyfriend's hand …pic.twitter.com/ofs9DocirE

— Figen (@TheFigen_) August 7, 2024

The two have been together for nine years without being married.

“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,” Finot told reporters including The Associated Press afterward.

Finot, 33, also said that since they had been together so long without him proposing, she thought it was maybe up to her to do so.

The twist to this proposal is that the woman proposed to the man, which is unusual in America. But in France, the proposal/engagement/wedding process is much different than in the United States.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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