Posted on 02/09/2026 12:16:08 PM PST by xxqqzz
Milan-Cortina 2026 organisers say they are giving "maximum attention" to why Olympic medals are breaking after several athletes experienced issues with theirs.
Two of the USA's gold medallists, Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, revealed the ribbon had come away from the medal soon after they received their prize.
Johnson, who won gold in the women's downhill alpine skiing, showed her broken medal at the post-event media conference.
"So there's the medal. And there's the ribbon," she told reporters. "And here's the little piece that is supposed to go into the ribbon to hold the medal, and yeah, it came apart."
Liu disclosed a similar issue in a video on social media, external after she won gold as part of the United States squad in the figure skating team event.
The video shows Liu holding up the medal and ribbon in separate hands, with the text: "My medal don't need the ribbon."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
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Should check metal content too. I know in games past gold medals were never solid just plated but the silver and bronze were solid IIRC. I always found it ironic that the Olympic champion only got a gold plated medal given how much money was involved in the games themselves.
“Maybe they are made in China.”
Maybe they were made by an Italian auto maker.
Another example of fine Italian craftsmanship. They’re probably made on a FIAT assembly line.
They’re probably made on a FIAT assembly line
Fix it again, Tony.
“The Lord Jehovah has given unto you these 15 (crash) 10...10 commandments for all to obey”
“Maybe they were made by an Italian auto maker.”
NOPE, that’s super dumb; a British auto maker..
(At least, that's what I've been told ... never owned a British car.)
Putin’s revenge for not allowing the Russians to compete.
Is there Chocolate inside ?
I’ll bet the chocolate inside the medals aren’t very tasty, either.
Really outrageous I think. The Olympic Games budget in Paris, 2024 was 8.7 Billion. Surely a solid gold medal is well within the budget. Cheapskates!
Well, they’d also require a specialized tool to do any sort of work on them (ask me how I know)...
Low bidder so the Olympic bosses can skim more
“If a British auto maker made them, they would leak oil.”
I would be nice if that were all it was.
They are also prone to darkness and not even water resistant !
The enshitification of everything continues…
Exactly and they’ve been cheapskates for a long time.
Here is what I found for material content from wiki.
Production and design
The IOC dictates the physical properties of the medals and has the final decision about the finished design. Specifications for the medals are developed along with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) hosting the Games, though the IOC has brought in some set rules:[17][18]
Recipients: The top three competitors receive medals
Shape: Usually circular, featuring an attachment for a chain or ribbon
Diameter: A minimum of 60 mm
Thickness: A minimum of 3 mm
Material:
First place (the gold medal): It is composed at least 92.5% of silver, plated with 6 grams of gold; the metal value was about US$494 in 2010.[19][20] At the 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, the medal at then-current prices was worth about $800.[21]
Second place (the silver medal): 92.5% silver;[22] the metal value was about US$260 in 2010.[19] At the Tokyo games, the medal was worth $460.[21]
Third place (the bronze medal): In 2010 it was 97% copper with 0.5% tin and 2.5% zinc; the metal value was about US$3 in 2010.[19] At the Tokyo games it was 95% copper and 5% zinc with a metal value of about $5.[21]
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