Athletes participating in the upcoming 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics were gifted exclusive Samsung smartphones upon their arrival at the Olympic village. A total of nearly 3,800 athletes from about 90 countries, including both able-bodied and paralympic participants, received these unique devices, which are not available for regular purchase. Notably, Russian athletes were not included in this exclusive offering, as reported by the portal spidersweb.pl.

Just a few weeks after the welcome packages were distributed by one of the event’s sponsors, the smartphones began to appear on various resale platforms in multiple countries. Prices on eBay range from €900 to €1,250, with many units still sealed, indicating that some athletes have not even unpacked their new devices. In Poland, a version of this phone is being sold for around 3,000 PLN on the local site OLX, attracting the attention of potential buyers.

Despite receiving these phones as gifts, the Olympians reportedly did not sign any loyalty agreements with Samsung. Consequently, they are free to use the phones as they wish, including reselling them. This situation raises questions about the ethics of athlete sponsorship and the implications of receiving valuable items during such prominent international events, particularly in the context of consumer behavior and the commercial aspects of the Olympic Games.