Give pins, exchange pins, collect pins... What is a pin in the Olympics?
2024-08-12
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Recently, in the semi-finals of the women's table tennis team at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese team defeated the Korean team 3-0. On August 9, after the game, the former captain of the Japanese table tennis team, Kasumi Ishikawa, interviewed the Chinese women's table tennis team in Chinese as a special anchor of Fuji TV, which became a hot search on Weibo. What triggered a lot of discussion among netizens was not only that Kasumi Ishikawa interviewed in Chinese, but also that after the interview, Ishikawa sent pins to Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, and Wang Manyu. She also asked Chen Meng to help pass a pin to Ma Long. While some netizens were expressing their feelings about this warm and friendly scene, some netizens had a question mark over their heads: Sending pins? What is a pin?
If you search the word "pin" on a search engine, you may get even more confusing results. This English word translates to "pin", and when used as a verb, it means to pin. Pin also means personal identification code, and mobile phone PIN codes are also very common. So the pins given at the Olympics can't be pins. From the physical objects given by everyone, it can be seen that the pins given and exchanged by everyone are actually badges. The culture of exchanging pins has always been an important part of the Olympics, and it is even called the "official unofficial event" of the Olympics.
Olympic pins are a kind of souvenirs during the Olympic Games, usually launched by the organizers of the Olympic Games, participating teams, sponsors and related institutions. Its history can be traced back to the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896. At that time, the Olympic Committee designed different styles of round cards, mainly used to distinguish the identities of people in the venue. Badges for identification appeared at the 1908 London Olympics. In 1912, the Stockholm Olympics issued commercial badges for the first time to raise funds for the event. The Olympic Village completed at the 1924 Paris Olympics provided convenience for athletes from all over the world to communicate, and also expanded the influence of badge exchange. Some contestants would exchange badges to convey each other's blessings. Pin exchange gradually became a traditional project in the Olympic Village. There are more and more styles of pins. Not only will the sports delegations of various countries launch various styles of pins, but some media organizations, sponsors, and cultural groups will also launch Olympic-themed pins.
Not only athletes like to exchange pins, but volunteers in the Olympic Village are also very keen on exchanging pins. On social media, you can see that many volunteers or sports enthusiasts have posted pins of this Paris Olympics. The theme elements are quite diverse, not only the classic Eiffel Tower and Louvre styles, but also Monet's "Water Lilies" and Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" with full artistic temperament. French style can also be seen in the pins, and pins in the shape of champagne, red wine, desserts, etc. are very popular. Some rare pins have become hard currency on social media, and some brands' limited editions, cooperative pins and celebrity co-branded pins have attracted the pursuit and snap-up of pin lovers.
The small pin carries people's unique memories of the Olympics. A pin may carry an unforgettable competition experience, a precious cross-border friendship, and cross the language barrier. Collecting and exchanging pins brings people closer together. After all, the Olympic spirit is not only about sports competition, but also about understanding, friendship and unity. As Samaranch, the lifelong honorary president of the International Olympic Committee, said: "The Olympic badge looks small, but it records friendship and history. These badges have made many people friends."
Yangzi Evening News | Ziniu News reporter Shen Zhao
Proofread by Xu Heng
