Andy Murray tracks down Liechtenstein athlete to obtain elusive Olympic pin

Although Andy Murray left the Paris Olympic Games with several memories following his retirement at the event, the British star was sure to leave with a rare physical souvenir, an Olympic pin from a Liechtensteiner athlete.

Olympic pin collection is a tradition at the Games, and Murray appeared determined to add as many to his collection. Several Olympic athletes try to obtain a pin from an athlete from every country while in Paris, but with Liechtenstein having only one representative, mountain biker Romano Puntener, it was a race to determine his location.

The former British No.1 scoured the Olympic Village, and found Puntener on his first day in Paris. The 20-year old Liechtensteiner opened up on his unusual meeting with the Glasgow native, saying he was surprised someone of Murray's stature participated in the light-hearted tradition.

“I was really surprised," admitted Puntener." It was after dinner when me and my mechanic took some bikes and rode through the village, and he saw me. I didn’t expect to meet him on my first evening there at the Olympic Village.
" I was a bit surprised that he asked me for a Liechtenstein pin, because I knew that pin trading is a big thing at the Olympics but I didn’t know that superstars like Andy Murray do that. That was really cool to meet him and talk with him about his last tournament and about my first Olympics, and how it is to be the only athlete from Liechtenstein."