'Andy Murray tracked me down, he wanted my pin'

As the only Liechtensteiner in the village, mountain biker Romano Puntener found himself the centre of attention

- LAWRENCE OSTLERE

Pin swapping is big business in the Olympic village. Every country has their own unique little pin and a popular way to pass the time outside training and competition is to collect as many as you can by trading your own.

Andy Murray is an expert. After gathering a hefty collection at his final Games in Paris, Murray began seeking out the rarest pieces which sent him on the hunt for Liechtenstein’s sole athlete: the 20-year-old mountain biker Romano Puntener, one of nearly 15,000 people staying in the 54-hectare Olympic Village.

Murray being Murray, he found him. “I was really surprised,” says 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.