1 min read
Evan Jager moved into second place during the final lap of the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished in 8:04.28, winning the silver medal behind Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya. Jager is the first American man to medal in the event since 1984.
But a well-timed tweet from Emma Coburn, who earned bronze in the steeplechase on Monday, after the race had everyone asking Jager about...a hair tie?
Yes, it seems that the morning of her steeple final, Coburn wandered into the warmup area at the track looking for a hair elastic. Jager, who races with his shoulder-length blond hair pulled back into a renowned man bun, had one at the ready and offered it to her.
Then the plot thickened. Did Jager wear the hair tie for his final?
The mystery was solved. Again on Twitter.
Soon other athletes wanted in on the hair tie.
But as the video above shows, the hair tie is firmly on Jager’s left wrist. He hasn’t decided who gets it next.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
