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Olympic Trading Pins Are Going Viral. Here Are The Best.

While the Olympics are arguably the most competitive stage for sports, it seems elite athletes continue to show each other love behind the scenes. This year, athletes from around the world have been sharing the sweetest Olympic tradition between competitors on social media: exchanging pins.

For Swifties, it’s similar to the friendship bracelet swaps that took over the Eras Tour. Olympians gift other competitors and even some participants with special badges representing their country or sport. Some badges are considered more desirable than others, like Simone Biles’ signature badge that features a gold heart. New Zealand rugby sevens player Tysha Ikenasi, who has quite the impressive badge collection, posted a video on TikTok detailing her successful pursuit of the Biles badge. “I basically had to go and beg her to take one of our New Zealand badges and then she said she’d give me a personalized badge,” Ikenasi said. “So I feel like I saved the badge game. I got it.”

Even celebrities like rapper and Olympic commentator Snoop Dogg got in on the fun exchange. Snoop showed up ready to trade his own personalized pin, which he’s very selective about giving away. The accessory features a pin-sized Dogg blowing Olympic-style smoke rings into the air. It’s honestly iconic, and we’re incredibly jealous of tennis star Coco Gauff, who Dogg personally chose to gift his pin to.

What’s even cooler about this practice is that it’s actually a tradition that’s been around for centuries. It dates back to the 1896 Athens Olympic Games, when Greek athletes were given cloth pins with the country’s national anthem written on them, according to NBC affiliate WCNC. Want to feel included? Check out our roundup of the best Olympic pins and pin collections we came across this year.