Bob the Cap Catcher is capturing not just caps, but hearts, too.
When American swimmer Emma Weber lost a swim cap during the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the Olympics on Sunday, July 28, she didn’t go down to the bottom of the pool to get it back — a Speedo-clad, anonymous hero did. His small act of heroism has since made him a viral star.
“Bob the Cap Catcher,” as he was dubbed by commentators on the NBC broadcast, was quickly summoned to step up in the moment and fetch Weber’s cap, which he did while wearing a colorful, tight bathing suit and nothing else.
“Bob” dove into the water to cheers — and a catcall or two — and eventually emerged victorious with Weber’s white cap in hand, which he held up in victory as he left the spotlight.
“This is now and forever a Bob the Cap Catcher Stan account,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), while another joked, “Bob the Cap Catcher bringing sexy back to the Olympics! 🔥🔥🔥”
Weber, 20, swam a 1:07.65, ranking her 23rd in the 100-meter breaststroke.
As the NBC commentators explained, it’s relatively common for swimmers to lose caps while competing, and they often wear more than one as a precaution.
“They always wear two, sometimes maybe three depending upon your hair,” the commentators said. “So she was fine in that event, that’s why we didn’t notice it right away.”
BBC Sport
Since kicking off on July 26, the 2024 Paris Games have been full of viral moments, including a racy “ménage à trois” that made waves during the opening ceremony.
In one prerecorded segment, a clip featured three apparent French lovers running up a staircase together and embracing briefly before heading into a bedroom. They touched each other’s faces before then closing the door on the camera person.
Lintao Zhang/Getty
Other viral moments have included an epic comeback performance from Céline Dion, as well as the resourceful Canadian and U.S. skateboarding teams, who skated to practice after their bus got stuck in the middle of the street.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympics newsletter, to get the biggest stories from the Games delivered straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.
