‘Gender wars’: Debate erupts over Olympic proposal

A sweet and romantic moment at the Paris Olympics has launched a wild gender debate online.

When French track and field athlete Alice Finot finished fourth in the women’s 300-metre steeplechase final, breaking the European record, she joyfully celebrated by proposing to her boyfriend.

It’d be hard to imagine as the crowd cheered that it’d become controversial, but 14 million views on one tweet later – that is precisely what has happened.

The 33-year-old, a first-time Olympian, rushed from the track and straight into the arms of her partner, who was in the stands supporting her and popping the question.

She popped the question after placing fourth. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The sweat from the race was still dripping off her as she proposed to her partner, who was moved to tears by the gesture and accepted.

“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 said.

“I don’t like doing things like everyone else. Since he hadn’t done it yet, I thought maybe it was up to me.”

When the official Olympics and Paralympics X account tweeted the video of her proposing, it amassed 4 million views.

The moment went viral on social media, but bizarrely or perhaps predictably, in 2024, Finot’s romantic gesture has now been labelled by some as “emasculating” to her partner.

“If your girl proposes to you, especially during the Olympics, you’re cooked. There is nothing more emasculating than a woman proposing,” one account tweeted.

Both were beaming. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

There’s been a wild response. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The account also claimed that Finot’s partner should have walked away in “shame” because his girlfriend got the “drop” on him in front of millions.

That tweet received over 14 million views, over 26,000 people liked it, and over 8,000 comments.

From there, people debated, because of Finot’s gender, whether her proposal was a romantic gesture or the ultimate power move for her boyfriend.

“You’re right. This feels so emasculating” one wrote.

“It is immediately clear who the head of the family is,” another claimed.

“There is no authentic masculinity left in this world. This is beyond sad. Never mind, sad, this is pathetic,” one commented.

“Yikes. Why does she go down on her knee?” one man asked.

“It’s so weird. I could never propose to my man. It’s either he does, or we never get married because this is just so embarrassing,” another woman claimed.

She’s a track star. Picture: Instagram/Alice Finot

The proposal is going viral. Picture: Instagram/Alice Finot

There were also people defending her proposal.

“No offence, man, but if buddy pulled an Olympic athlete, she proposed to him. Yeah, good on him,” one wrote.

“Nah this is good. If he had proposed to her, it would have been seen as him trying to make her special moment at the Olympics about him too. But she has chosen to make her moment

about them as a couple. It’s sweet,” another complimented.

“Two people can’t just be happy and enjoy a moment in one of the world’s most unique events, because of gender roles? Pathetic,” another raged.

“You’re being courted by one of the most prestige athletes on the planet. One who broke a record and celebrated by showing her love to you. How the f**k is that cooked or emasculated?” Someone asked.

Originally published as ‘Gender wars’: Debate erupts over Olympic proposal