Organizers for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are investigating reports of durability issues with medals awarded during the Games, with at least four athletes experiencing their awards detaching from ribbons or breaking into pieces.
Officials have acknowledged the problem, stating a solution has been identified, and are offering repairs for affected awards.
Reported Incidents
Multiple athletes have reported issues with their medals shortly after receiving them:
- Breezy Johnson (USA, Alpine Skier): Her gold medal for the women’s downhill final reportedly broke into three pieces after she jumped during celebrations. Johnson advised other athletes to avoid vigorous movement or jumping while wearing their medals.
- Justus Strelow (Germany, Biathlete): His mixed relay bronze medal detached from its ribbon and a clasp piece reportedly snapped off during celebrations, falling to the floor.
- Alysa Liu (USA, Figure Skater): The U.S. figure skater shared a social media post showing her team event gold medal detached from its ribbon.
- Ebba Andersson (Sweden, Cross-country Skier): Her women’s skiathlon silver medal separated into two pieces after falling in the snow. She noted that a small pin securing the medal in its pendant had fallen off.
Organizers Respond, Solution Identified
Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for the Milan Cortina organizing committee, stated that the committee is aware of the situation and is working to understand the problem. Luca Casassa, an Olympic organizing committee spokesperson, confirmed on Tuesday that a solution has been identified.
Athletes with faulty medals are encouraged to return them for repair, and all medals are undergoing re-checking as a precautionary measure.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee is awaiting resolution from organizers regarding potential replacement medals.
Medal Design and Suspected Causes
The Milan Cortina medals feature two inclined halves with differing textures, symbolizing the dual host cities and the union of two parts.
A newly designed inlet is used to attach the ribbon, intended to prevent it from obscuring the medal's face.
Breezy Johnson identified this connection point as where her medal separated. Reuters, citing an unnamed source, suggested the issue might stem from a flawed connection between the ribbon and the medal, possibly involving a "breakaway mechanism required by law" designed to release under force to prevent choking. Doug McIndoe, editor of The MCA Advisory, speculated that a manufacturing glitch, possibly involving metal shrinkage during casting, could be affecting the clip's attachment. Historically, Olympic medals were not typically worn around the neck until the 1960s.
Material Value and Composition
Gold medals, which have not been solid gold since 1912, consist of 500 grams of sterling silver coated with 6 grams of pure gold. They are valued at approximately $2,300 to $2,400. Silver medals, made of 500 grams of sterling silver, are valued at approximately $1,400.
These values reflect a significant increase from the 2024 Paris Olympics due to rising prices of precious metals.
A Precedent: Paris 2024 Medal Concerns
This is not the first occurrence of Olympic medal quality concerns. Following the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, some medals, which incorporated pieces of the Eiffel Tower, reportedly tarnished or corroded.
Over 100 medalists contacted the production company, Monnaie de Paris, for replacement due to deterioration.
By February 2025, 220 replacement requests were made, representing approximately 4% of awarded medals. American skateboarder Nyjah Huston described his bronze medal as appearing damaged due to chipping. The French mint had committed to replacing affected medals.