French track and field athlete Alice Finot celebrated breaking a record at the 2024 Paris Olympics in an unexpected way—with a proposal!

On 6 August, Finot competed in the women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase event with 14 other athletes. The 33-year-old, who is a first-time Olympian this summer, finished fourth in the race, missing the podium by just three seconds.

Although she didn’t secure a medal, she still earned a place in the record books. Finot crossed the finish line with a time of 8:58.67, breaking the European steeplechase record.

After the race, Finot surprised her boyfriend by getting down on one knee and proposing to him. The NBC Olympics & Paralympics X account posted a clip of the grand romantic gesture.

In the video, Finot holds up what appears to be a pin as her boyfriend wipes tears away from his eyes. He accepts her proposal, and the two sweetly embrace as the crowd applauds.

Finot is not the first Olympian during the Summer Games to profess her love after an event.

Chinese badminton player Huang Yaqiong won a gold medal with her mixed doubles partner, Zheng Siwei, on 2 August, just minutes before her boyfriend popped the question.

Liu Yuchen, who is also a member of China’s Olympic badminton team, knelt on one knee after Huang left the podium and asked her to marry him.

Images from the proposal show Liu smiling as a tearful Huang covers her mouth in shock. She accepted and later showed off her sparkling engagement ring to photographers.

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