stressful situations

Even Olympic Runners Forget Their Hair Ties

Emma Coburn
Emma Coburn Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

If you’ve ever lost a bobby pin mid-run and felt everything else unraveling, this story about Olympic track-and-field athlete Emma Coburn will give you some serious secondhand anxiety. On August 16, right before she had to compete in the final steeplechase event, Coburn realized she didn’t have a hair tie. [Cue Wilhelm scream.]

She walked around the warm-up area desperately looking for someone to lend her one, which is by far the most relatable story to come out of the Olympics so far. Fortunately, man-bun enthusiast Evan Jager had an extra one around his wrist to lend to her.

Coburn went on to win the bronze — and yes, she returned the hair tie.