French Steeplechaser Alice Finot Proposes To Boyfriend After Breaking European Record

French Olympian Alice Finot might not have earned a spot on the podium during the women's 3000-meter steeplechase, but she did win in the love category ... 'cause she dropped to one knee and proposed to her boyfriend -- and he said yes!!!

The wholesome moment happened after Tuesday's final ... when Finot approached her man, peeled back her race tag -- which had a bag attached to it -- and pulled out an Olympic pin in lieu of a traditional ring.

Her BF -- Bruno Martínez Bargiela -- was understandably emotional about it all ... and once he was able to get it together, he gladly accepted the proposal and embraced his bride-to-be.

On top of the proposal ... Finot's finish of 8:58.67 earned her the European record -- beating out the previous time of 8:58.81, held by Russia's Gulnara Samitova-Galkina.

There was a chance Finot would not have gone through with the proposal -- as she told a local outlet if she finished above nine minutes, the pin would not have seen the light of day!!!

"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 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.'"

Love is certainly in the air at the Paris Games ... 'cause this is just one of several proposals to go down during the international competition.

Congrats!!