Move over Simone Biles and Sha'carri Richardson, there's a new star at the Paris Olympics—and he's not even competing.
A man in a very colorful Speedo has become an unlikely star at the Olympic Games after retrieving a swim cap from the bottom of the pool.
The man was dubbed "Bob the Cap Catcher" by one of NBC's commentators who attended the event, and video of his big moment has gone viral on social media.
It all began when Emma Weber, a swimmer on the US Olympic team, dropped her cap after a 100-meter breaststroke competition at Paris' La Défense Arena this week.
Why Weber was unable, or perhaps not allowed, to retrieve her own cap is unknown. But luckily, there was a lifeguard who appeared to be employed for precisely this purpose.
As Weber's cap sunk to the bottom of the pool, an Average Joe—or Average Jacques, as it were—appeared on the pool deck in a brightly colored Speedo and a purposeful gait that made it clear this was his moment to shine.
He jumped into the pool like a champ, swam to the bottom, grabbed Weber's cap and leapt back out of the pool to thunderous applause from the crowd.
As the lifeguard took his bow, NBC's commentators wondered if the man had a name, to which the other commentator replied:
"We need to call him Bob the Cap Catcher!"
And before long, a new star was born with an adoring public on social media who were just as tickled by the moment as the commentators.
Here's to you, Bob the Cap Catcher. Thank you for your service.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
