Paris 2024: Samsung Puts a New Spin on a Long-Standing Tradition With the Samsung Olympic Games Pin Masters Challenge

An iconic part of Olympic history, pin trading is a sport of its own in many ways. The practice dates back to the 1896 Athens Olympics when wooden badges of various colors were used to identify officials and athletes at the first modern Olympic Games. Trading began in the Olympic Village at the 1924 Paris Olympics where athletes started to exchange pins as a sign of international friendship. Today, pin trading has become a classic part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games experience.

▲ Samsung Electronics’ Rio 2016 Olympic Games Pin promotion features 22 Olympic Games sport-themed pins, as well as eight Rio de Janeiro themed pins and a Rio 2016 decorated pin board.

Samsung Electronics put a new spin on a long-standing tradition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 with the Samsung Olympic Games Pin Masters Challenge, one of many ways the company is opening the Olympic Games experience to all.

Fans are invited to join several Galaxy AI-powered challenges at the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung pop-up experiences across Paris (Champs-Elysees 125, Square Marigny and Village Plaza) for a chance to collect 16 specially created pins — including the extremely rare Golden Pin — and become a Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master.

Made from recycled aluminum from Galaxy smartphones, the 16 innovative and highly collectible Samsung Olympic Games Pins were designed by French illustrator Jean André. Eleven Classic Pins represent four Olympic sports — breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing — and four Paralympic sports — blind football, para athletics, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis. In addition, there are four Special Pins with three-dimensional Parisian landmarks and the Golden Pin.

Each Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master who collects all 16 pins will receive a new Galaxy Z Flip6 and a chance to win a round-trip package for two to attend the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

▲ Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master Ben Choi shows off his pin board at the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Square Marigny. (Photo by Samsung)

Samsung Newsroom interviewed four Samsung Olympic Games Pin Masters of Paris 2024, 8-year-old Ben Choi visiting from the United States, 12-year-old Thomas Tamarelle and 13-year-old Noahm from France.

Choi, from California, achieved this feat at his first-ever Olympic Games — but it’s not the first for his family. Changhwan Kim, Choi’s great-grandfather, competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 1964 as the first Olympic fencer from South Korea. Ari Kim, Choi’s mother, attended the Olympic Games Seoul 1988 when she was six.

▲ Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master Ben Choi poses with his parents in front of the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Square Marigny. (Photo by Samsung)

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 marks Choi’s first time collecting pins. His goal was to take home the new Galaxy Z Flip6 — a mission the young boy accomplished by becoming a Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master.

“I’m really excited,” said Choi. “The challenges were fun, especially the skateboarding game and the AI drawing workshop. The Golden Pin is my favorite.”

As he and his family enjoy the archery, handball, fencing and swimming competitions during the remainder of the Olympic Games in Paris, Choi hopes to collect more pins — “if my mom lets me!”

▲ Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master Thomas Tamarelle displays his pin board at the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Square Marigny. (Photo by Samsung)

Thomas also got lucky during his first Olympic Games which he attended with his dad. He began collecting pins for the first time because he “really enjoyed the different games and challenges at the Samsung pop-up experience.”

Winning the Galaxy Z Flip6 was an unexpected bonus.

“I am excited about my new Galaxy Z Flip6 because it flips,” said Thomas. “I also love the Sketch to image feature.”

▲ Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master Noahm poses with his sister Leyna at the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung | Champs-Elysees 125. (Photo by Samsung)

As for Noahm, who visited the Olympic™ rendezvous @ Samsung three days in a row to collect all the pins, it’s a whole family affair. Noahm might be the first to complete the challenge, but they certainly don’t intend to stop there. “Leyna and dad are next!” If she wins, Leyna hopes to keep her new Galaxy Z Flip6 for when she grows up, and plans to lend it to her grandpa.

How did Noahm reach that goal in such a short amount of time? By trading of course. “I met this person who had just won the last pin I was missing, the Arc de Triomphe, and asked her if I could trade it for 10 of mine.” Smart move.

The Samsung Olympic Games Pin Master Challenge will continue in Paris through September 8.