An Argentine fencer got a surprise on-camera marriage proposal from her coach after her match at Tokyo 2020
- Argentine fencer Maria Belen Perez Maurice fell short of winning gold at Tokyo 2020.
- Perez Maurice won't be leaving Tokyo empty-handed, as her coach proposed to her live on camera.
- It was Saucedo's second attempt at a proposal, after being turned down by Perez Maurice in 2010.
Argentine fencer Maria Belen Perez Maurice lost to Hungary's Anna Marton 15-12 on Monday, ending her run at the Olympics.
But while Perez Maurice won't be leaving Tokyo with a medal, she won't be leaving the Olympics alone after her coach of 17 years, Lucas Saucedo, surprised her with a marriage proposal.
The proposal came during Perez Maurice's post-match interview. While she was speaking with reporters, Saucedo held up a sign behind her on camera with the message, "Te queres casar conmigo??? Po favo."
Will you marry me??? Please.
Saucedo had also doodled a little drawing of a cat on his proposal sign.
The people interviewing Perez Maurice excitedly told her to turn around, and when she did, Saucedo got down on one knee.
She said yes.
According to Reuters, it was the second time Saucedo had proposed marriage to Perez Maurice, having been rebuffed in 2010. This time around, though, Perez Maurice said yes.
"We love each other so much. Now we want to spend our life together," Perez Maurice said, per USA Today. "We were talking about this (getting married), but I didn't know."
Saucedo said that the plan to propose was a spur of the moment. Without a ring, Saucedo needed to find a piece of paper to write out his proposal, eventually trading an Olympic pin with a volunteer in exchange for the supplies he needed.
Saucedo said that had Perez Maurice won, he would have held off his proposal until later, but after her loss, he wanted to turn her spirits around.
"I love her," he said. "So when she lost the match, she felt very, very sad. So maybe this proposal will change the mentality of the situation."
Congratulations to the happy couple!