Current:Home > ContactSimone Biles' husband Jonathan Owens was 'so excited' to pin trade at 2024 Paris Olympics -FundTrack
Simone Biles' husband Jonathan Owens was 'so excited' to pin trade at 2024 Paris Olympics
View
Date:2025-04-15 15:27:00
Jonathan Owens seems to have gotten the full taste and experience of the 2024 Paris Olympics — including some inside pin trading.
Thanks to the Chicago Bears granting him some time away from training camp, Owens was able to watch his wife, decorated women's gymnast Simone Biles, win several Olympic medals, including helping the USA women's gymnastics team return to gold in the team-all-around event.
And while the first-year Bears safety was able to take in the excitement and history of Biles becoming of the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast (both men or women), Biles told TODAY's Hoda Kotb Tuesday morning that he was just as excited to pin trade at the Paris Games.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS:Follow USA TODAY's full Olympics coverage here
"He was so excited. He was more excited to pin trade," Biles said. "He was loving to pin trade. I didn't think he would but I did warn him that pin trading was really huge. So he absolutely loved that.
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
"Obviously he loved going to see me compete (and) he was still keeping score. For him, it meant the world to him because he has seen the amount of hours that I have put in. So to actually see in person he was like, 'Wow this is amazing,' and he was so excited to be there."
Biles discusses pin trading in the below clip at the 4:20 mark.
To use the words of Ilona Maher of the United States women's rugby team, pin trading at the Olympics is a "serious business" and tradition at the Olympics. At the start of the Olympic Games, countries and delegations provide their athletes with customized pins — either designed to represent their country or specific team — that they can trade with athletes from other countries or fans or anyone else at the Olympics.
“One thing about the Olympic Village is, trading pins is serious business,” Maher said in a TikTok video prior to the opening ceremony where she is seen acquiring a clog pin from the Netherlands. “We don’t mess around trading pins, OK?”
Biles even has her own customized pin, which to no surprise is a hot ticket item for athletes — like Maher — to get while in Paris. The pin is a gold-shaped heart that has her signature engraved into it with a small drawn heart. Snoop Dogg, who has become quite the fan favorite on NBC's coverage, has his own pin as well.
Maher's teammate, Sammy Sullivan, traded one of her Olympic pins to a local tattoo artist in Paris for a free customized Paris Games tattoo that featured the Olympic bronze medal that the women's rugby team won and the Eiffel Tower.
Owens has since returned to the United States to rejoin the Bears at training camp, where he is preparing for his first season with the NFC North team. He finished with 76 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown last season with the Green Bay Packers.
veryGood! (11)
Related
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
Average rate on 30
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?