Argentine fencer loses in her debut, but wins marriage proposal in the mixed zone

TOKYO - There are defeats that taste like a victory. Something of that happened to Argentine fencer Belén Pérez Maurice, who when she was explaining in the mixed zone the reasons for her first-round elimination at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games turned her head and found something unexpected: her coach was proposing marriage.

“Ay, aaaaaaaaayyy, ay...!” the 36-year-old Argentine, who participated in her third Olympic Games, began to shout.

The wedding proposal came while Perez Maurice was giving an interview to Argentine television. Behind her was her coach and partner, Lucas Saucedo, holding a piece of paper with an inscription on it. Viewers could see it, but the fencer had her back turned.

“Flaca (skinny), will you marry me? Please,” read the sign Saucedo held up to the cameras as his girlfriend spoke.

The fencer began to scream when she saw the sign, her boyfriend knelt down and made a request: “Tell me yes, tell me yes”.

“Yes, yes,” reacted Perez Maurice, whose gaze began to blur with a few tears.

Shortly after, both were giving an interview to Argentine television in which they talked about their work together and their projects for the future.

Perez Maurice, 27th in the tournament rankings, lost 15-12 in sabre to Hungary’s Anna Marton, sixth, and came close to achieving what would have been her first Olympic Games victory.

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