Due to questionable quality
More than 100 athletes return their Olympic medals
Updated on January 15, 2025 – 1:52 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Winning an Olympic medal is the greatest achievement for many athletes. It’s just stupid when the precious metal crumbles.
Just five months after the Olympic Games in Paris, more than 100 athletes have already returned their medals. The reason: damage such as chips, rust and discoloration. Bronze medals, whose material consists of an alloy of copper, zinc and tin, are particularly affected. Experts suspect that the mixture used promotes rapid oxidation, reports the Daily Mail.
The quality of the medals was already questioned during the 2024 Games. US skateboarder Nyjah Huston was one of the first to publicly criticize the poor workmanship. Shortly after his competition, he shared pictures of his bronze award and explained: “These Olympic medals look good new, but as soon as you wear them and sweat, they show their weaknesses. Even the front is peeling off.”
Other athletes also had similar experiences. British diver Yasmin Harper reported that her bronze medal showed discoloration after just a week, possibly due to moisture. French Olympians such as Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard posted images of their medals, which they described as “crocodile skin.” Both won bronze in the 4×100 meter medley relay.
According to the French newspaper “La Lettre”, the poor quality of the medals has now led to personnel changes at the manufacturer Monnaie de Paris. According to reports, production problems were caused by a lack of testing and the ban on certain materials.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has now reacted. “Damaged medals are systematically replaced and engraved in an identical manner,” said a spokesman. The exchange process will begin in the next few weeks in collaboration with Monnaie de Paris and the respective National Olympic Committees.
The Paris medals, designed by luxury jeweler Chaumet, contain a piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower – a symbolic element now overshadowed by material problems. Whether the exchange can restore athletes’ confidence remains to be seen.