Ironman Triathlon athlete sparks debate after proposing to girlfriend while suffering severe leg cramps

Athlete had just finished Ironman Triathlon in Tallin, Estonia, when he tried to propose

A resurfaced video of an Ironman Triathlon competitor proposing to his partner while suffering intense cramps has sparked a debate, with some praising the athlete while others declared the gesture the “least romantic” proposal they’d ever seen.

In the viral video, which was re-shared this week by Instagram account @goodnews_movement, it shows the 2021 moment that the competitor, identified by Triathlon Magazine as Spain’s Cristian Moriatiel, crossed the finish line after the grueling Ironman race in Talinn, Estonia, only to immediately attempt to get down on one knee and propose to his girlfriend.

However, the athlete’s muscles were unable to hold the position after the hours of strenuous activity, with the video showing Moriatiel grimacing in pain as his legs cramped.

Moriatiel then dropped to the floor on the stage, prompting the challenge’s organisers to hurry over and attempt to help him up so that he could finish asking his girlfriend to marry him.

As the organisers quickly kneaded and massaged the athlete’s muscles, Moriatiel pushed himself to both knees before popping the question. The eventual moment was met with cheers from the crowd of onlookers, with the announcer telling the crowd: “She said yes!” before turning to the athlete’s girlfriend and confirming: “Did you say yes?”

The video concludes with Moriatiel placing the ring on his fiancée’s finger as she kneeled down to embrace him.

In the caption of the video, the Instagram account wrote: “No leg cramp strong enough to stop him from the proposal. He did it!” along with the Ironman mantra #AnythingIsPossible.

In the comments, viewers were divided over the unique proposal, with some applauding the athlete for the perseverance it took to finish the race and then propose, while others suggested that there may have been a better opportunity for Moriatiel to pop the question.

“This is so sweet. The effort,” one person commented, while another said: “That looks so painful but this is sweet lol.”

“Simply amazing. Nothing could have stopped him from achieving his dream,” someone else said of the proposal.

However, others were less impressed with the proposal, with some claiming that Moriatiel may have been better off picking a moment when he wasn’t in agony.

“This is the least romantic and most bizzare proposal I’ve ever seen,” one person wrote on TikTok, where the Ironman Estonia account shared the video of the proposal.

Another said: “This is just awkward,” while someone else wrote: “This would give me the ick.”

The video also prompted some to claim that Moriatiel made the proposal about himself, rather than his partner, with one viewer suggesting that it was proof the athlete is a “narcissist”.

“Was this proposal for her or him?” someone else asked, while another person said: “Most self-indulgent proposal ever.”

Others joked that Moriatiel’s severe leg cramping should have been a sign to hold off on the proposal, with one viewer writing: “Even his hamstring was telling him not to do it.”