Paris Olympic medalists take podium selfies with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6

Athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics are using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 to take selfies on the podium and share them with a preloaded app.

Korea's Oh Sang-uk, centre, winner of the gold medal in the men's individual Sabre competition, takes selfies with the event's silver medalist, Tunisia's Fares Ferjani, left, and bronze medalist, Italy's Luigi Samele, during the Paris 2024 Olympics, using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS/GETTY IMAGES]

After undergoing familiar celebrations at the 2024 Paris Olympics, fencing gold medalist Oh Sang-uk and 400-meter freestyle swimming bronze medalist Kim Woo-min took an unconventional step: selfies on the podium.

Their phone of choice was none other than Samsung Electronics' latest foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

This is the first Olympics in which such selfies have been permitted, thanks to an agreement between Samsung Electronics and the International Olympic Committee; previously, all individual belongings, including smartphones, have been banned from medal ceremonies, with only official media allowed to take photos.

“Athletes can take creative selfies with the Galaxy Z Flip6 in various angles due to its foldable nature,” Samsung Electronics said in a release Monday.

Selfie-takers can share those podium shots, dubbed “victory selfies,” via an app called Athlete 365 app that is preloaded on the distributed Galaxy Z Flip 6 models.

Samsung has also heavily marketed the Z Flip 6, which launched in early July, around its built-in AI features, including its ability to provide real-time translations during face-to-face conversations utilizing its dual screens.

The Korean electronics giant, a Worldwide Olympic Partner since 1998, separately provided the device to all 2024 Olympic and Paralympic athletes — 17,000 units in total — with the pretense that competitors could use the phone's real-time translation features to better communicate with each other.

Selfies taken on the podium, dubbed “victory selfies,” are automatically uploaded on an app called Athlete 365 that is preloaded on the distributed Galaxy Z Flip 6 models.

From left, women's 10-meter air pistol silver medalist, Korea's Kim Ye-ji, gold medalist, Korea's Oh Ye-jin, and bronze medalist, India's Manu Bhaker, take a selfie on the podium during the Paris 2024 Olympics on Sunday. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS/GETTY IMAGES]

“We are honored to deliver our newest Galaxy innovation to the inspiring athletes of Paris 2024 — and give them the opportunity to experience the powerful and intelligent Galaxy Z Flip 6 firsthand, even before its official market launch,” said Stephanie Choi, executive vice president and head of marketing at Samsung Electronics' mobile business.

“We are excited to see how our technology opens up athletes’ Games-time experience like never before — from creating meaningful connections to sharing and capturing lifelong memories while in Paris and beyond.”

The Z Flip 6 is not the only Samsung gadget to make an appearance at the Paris Games.

Samsung also used its flagship Galaxy S24 Ultra series launched early this year to livestream the opening ceremony, with more than 200 models installed on the boats that carried athletes down the Seine river.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]