The Paris Olympics will be remembered not only for its remarkable athletic performances but also for the numerous marriage proposals that took place. Surprisingly, many athletes seized the moment to propose to their partners amidst their quest for sporting glory. Alice Finot and Bruno Martínez Bargiela Despite not winning a medal in the 3000 meter steeplechase, French athlete Alice Finot, was smiling at the end of it.
After setting a European record with a time of 8:58.67, she proposed to her boyfriend, Spanish triathlete Bruno Martínez Bargiela, using a pin that read, "Love is in Paris." As Bargiela accepted, and the couple embraced the crowd cheered inside the stadium.
"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. "I don't like doing things like everyone else. Since he hadn't done it yet, I told myself that maybe it was up to me to do it," she added.
Huang Ya Qiong and Liu Yuchen Chinese badminton player Liu Yuchen proposed to his girlfriend and fellow Olympian, Huang Ya Qiong, after she secured a gold medal in the badminton mixed doubles final. On the court at La Chapelle Arena, Yuchen knelt and presented Qiong with a ring. Huang, still reveling in her victory, was overjoyed and accepted.
"For me, the proposal is very surprising because I have been preparing for the game," she told the Associated Press. "Today I am an Olympic champion and I got proposed [to], so that’s something I didn’t expect," she added. Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon The French women's skiff sailors, Sarah and Charline Picon, celebrated double joy as they were both proposed to after winning bronze medals.
Steyaert, who had joked earlier that her boyfriend promised engagement only for gold or silver, was completely surprised. "Our boyfriends said at the beginning of the project that if we won a medal, we would be engaged, but mine said, ‘Only gold or silver,’ so after the medal race, I said, ‘Okay so I will not be engaged,’" Sarah recounted during a press conference. However, upon returning to the beach, both found their boyfriends on one knee.
"Of course, we had to say yes," Sarah said. Justin Best and Lainey Duncan One of the most public proposals came from American rower Justin Best, who proposed to his girlfriend of nine years, Lainey Duncan, live on a TV show! Not only won did Best win USA's first gold in rowing in 60 years, on August 5, he also proposed to Duncan with family members holding 2,738 yellow roses, symbolizing each day of their Snapchat streak. A post shared by Justin Best (@justin_besttt) Pablo Simonet and Maria Campoy Before the opening ceremony, Pablo Simonet of Argentina's men's handball team proposed to Maria Campoy, a player on the women's hockey team.
In a reel posted on Simonet’s Instagram, the two teams gathered for a group photo, during which Simonet asked Campoy to marry him. As she said a yes to the proposal, she tearfully embraced him as their teammates cheered. A post shared by Pablito Simonet (@pablitosimon) "The woman in my life gave me a 'yes' 🤩 ❤️," Simonet wrote in Spanish.
"In a dream place, where everything came from and where we fought so much to be," he added hinting on their Olympic journey that started in 2016 in Rio. Payton Otterdahl and Maddy Nilles American shot putter Payton Otterdahl proposed to his girlfriend Maddy Nilles beneath the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, after he finished fourth in the tournament. The beautiful setting made the moment even more special, which Otterdahl also shared on his social media profiles.
A post shared by Payton Otterdahl (@p.train_throws).
