Players embrace pins tradition

 

Originally published on: 30/07/12 00:00

Venus Williams, featuring in her fourth Olympics, admits her collection may well be well into the hundreds, while Britain’s Laura Robson has been particularly ruthless in building up her stash of pins.

"I went a bit nuts with it yesterday during the rain delay,” said the 19-year-old Wimbledon resident. “I got most of them when we were in the Olympic Village, I got St Kitts & Nevis, Aruba, Guinea, so I'm trying to go for the slightly smaller countries as well as the larger ones.

“I've actually run out of GB pins to give people, so I think Andy [Murray] is going to give me his, then I can get started again. I have been promised a Swiss pin from Roger Federer. I asked him this morning and he said he is going to bring in his tomorrow.”

Williams, meanwhile, stocked up her collection after beating Aleksandra Wozniack to set up a third round clash with Angelique Kerber.

“I got Bahamas and Bermuda on the court. They’re somewhere in my pocket with all the other pins,” said the three-time Gold medalist, who admits she’s a big fan of the concept.

“It’s so fun,” she said. “It’s a great way to meet people and the pins are very beautiful. I have collections all the way from 2000 so they’re like the pride for me. The pride of the Olympics.”

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