María Belén Pérez Maurice got the surprise of a lifetime at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 36-year-old Argentinian fencer was speaking to the press after her loss against Hungarian athlete Anna Márton when her coach and boyfriend of 17 years, Lucas Guillermo Saucedo, appeared on-screen behind her holding a sign, per a video shared by NBC Olympics. María turned around to read the sign, which translated from Spanish said, "Will you marry me??? Please."
She squealed and pulled her mask down, then nodded and gave Lucas a hug. The two kissed, celebrating their brand-new engagement. Noticeably overcome by emotion, María wiped away her tears as she invited Lucas to join in on the interview.
According to CNN, María told reporters, "They [the press] told me to turn around, and he had the letter. I forgot everything. I was like, 'Oh my god.'"
The fencer continued, "We are very happy. We are very good partners. Of course, we have fights, but we enjoy each other's time. We love each other so much, and we want to spend our lives together."
Without a ring, Lucas explained how spontaneous the proposal really was: "I love her, and when she lost the match [to Marton] she got very sad, so maybe this proposal should change her mentality. I wrote on the paper in the moment. If she had won, no. I would have waited for the moment."
The Argentinian athlete shared that the celebrations will take place in Buenos Aires over a "big barbecue."
Lucas also revealed that he previously proposed to María at the 2010 World Fencing Championships, however the three-time Olympian turned him down because of her young age.
Looks like the timing was finally right. Congratulations to the engaged couple!