Pin collector has star appeal

It seems you do not have to run faster, jump higher or even be stronger to be an Olympic star these days. Having a huge collection of pins does the trick just fine.

Sitting in a restaurant outside the Olympic Village yesterday, Janet Grissom, a doctor from Salt Lake City in the US, was surrounded by a crowd of a size normally reserved for international celebrities.

"Can I trade this with you?" 28-year-old local woman Xu Yang asked, holding up a Beijing Olympic mascot pin.