Taliyah Brooks gingerly approached the athlete as he lay on the grass and asked her question in a voice just louder than a whisper. “Do you have a pin?” she began, squeezing her shoulders together in a nervous shrug and offering a slight smile. The athlete, who had been stretching, shot up immediately and flashed a huge grin. Pins are the currency of friendship at the Olympic Games, and for Mohammed Dwedar, who will run for the Palestinian team in the track and field competition, this intrusion was more than welcome. “I was almost nervous to come over,” Brooks, a Texan, said, “because I don’t know how y’all feel about the United States.”

---

Persons: Taliyah Brooks gingerly, needn’t, Mohammed Dwedar, “, ” Brooks, ” Organizations: Olympic Games, Palestinian Locations: United States