The Trading Pins at the Olympics are So Good This Year, We Had to Rank Them

While the Olympics is arguably the most competitive stage for sport, it appears that the elite athletes are still showing each other love behind the scenes. This year, athletes from all over the world have been sharing on social media the sweetest Olympics tradition among competitors: trading pins.

For the Swifties out there, it’s similar to the friendship bracelet swaps that have been taking over the Eras Tour. Olympians are gifting their fellow competitors, and even some attendees, special pins representing their country or sport. Some pins have been deemed more covetable than others, like Simone Biles’s custom pin, which showcases her signature inside a gold heart. New Zealand rugby sevens player Tysha Ikenasi, who has quite the impressive pin collection, posted a video describing her successful acquisition of the Biles pin on TikTok. “Basically, I had to walk up and beg that she took on of our New Zealand pins and then she said that she’d give me a personal pin,” Ikenasi said. “So I feel like I clocked pin game. I got it.”

Even celebrities, including rapper and Olympics commentator Snoop Dogg, have joined in on the fun exchange. Snoop came prepared with his own personal pin to trade, which he’s been very selective about gifting. The accessory features a pin-sized Dogg blowing Olympics-style smoke rings into the air. Honestly, it’s iconic and we’re incredibly jealous of tennis sensation Coco Gauff, who Dogg personally selected to gift his pin to.

What’s even cooler about this practice, is that’s it’s actually a centuries-old tradition. It can be traced back to the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens when Greek athletes were presented with cloth pins featuring the country’s national anthem, per WCNC, an NBC affiliate. Want to feel included? Check out this roundup of the top Olympic pins and pin hauls we’ve come across this year.