the tradition of exchange lapel pins in Olympic

The Olympics may be taking over Peacock Island and our TV screens, but there’s something else going on behind the scenes that’s equally beloved by TikTokers: Olympic pin trading.
Although pin collecting is not an official sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics, it has become a hobby for many athletes in the Olympic Village. Although Olympic pins have been around since 1896, it has become increasingly popular for athletes to exchange pins in the Olympic Village in recent years due to the rise of social media.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour may have popularized the idea of ​​exchanging friendship bracelets at concerts and events, but it looks like pin swaps could be the next big thing. So here’s everything you need to know about this viral Olympic trend:
Since the badge exchange was introduced to TikTok’s FYP, more and more athletes have joined the Olympic tradition at the 2024 Games. New Zealand rugby player Tisha Ikenasio is just one of many Olympians who have made it their mission to collect as many badges as possible. She even went on a badge hunt to find a badge for every letter of the alphabet, and completed the task in just three days.

And it’s not just athletes who are picking up pins as a new hobby between games. Journalist Ariel Chambers, who was at the Olympics, also started collecting pins and was on the hunt for one of the rarest: Snoop Dogg pins. TikTok’s new favorite “man on horseback” Steven Nedoroshik also swapped pins with a fan after winning a bronze medal in the men’s gymnastics final.

There’s also the super-popular “Snoop” pin, which appears to feature the rapper blowing smoke rings that resemble Olympic pins. Tennis player Coco Gauff is one of the lucky ones to have a Snoop Dogg pin.
But it’s not just individual badges that are rare; people also look for badges from countries with few athletes. Belize, Liechtenstein, Nauru, and Somalia only have one representative at the Olympics, so their emblems are obviously harder to find than others. There are also some really cute badges, like the Chinese team’s badge with a panda standing on the Eiffel Tower.
While badge swapping isn’t a new phenomenon — Disney fans have been doing it for years — it’s been fun to see the phenomenon spread on TikTok and bring athletes from all over the world closer together.