France's Alice Finot breaks European steeplechase record and proposes to boyfriend

Aug. 7 (UPI) -- France's Alice Finot celebrated a record-breaking achievement in unique fashion at the Summer Olympics, proposing to her boyfriend in the stands of the Stade de France after she competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Finot popped the question Tuesday in Saint-Denis, France. She finished fourth in the event, with a European-record time of 8:58.67.

She then walked over to the stands, pulled out a pin -- instead of a ring -- and knelt down in front of her boyfriend, Spanish triathlete Bruno Martinez Bargiela, who welcomed her with an embrace and said yes.

"I told myself that if I ran under 9 minutes, knowing that nine is my lucky number and that we've been together for nine years, then I would propose," Finot told the Daily Mail.

"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.

"So, I gave a pin that I ran with to my boyfriend. On it, it says: 'Love is in Paris.'"

Bahrain's Winifred Yavi won the event. Uganda's Peruth Chemutai and Kenya's Faith Cherotich earned respective silver and bronze medals.