The International Olympic Committee has promised to replace the more than 100 medals that have been returned in shocking revelation after the Paris Olympic Games.
More than 100 disgruntled athletes have reportedly returned their Olympic medals just five months on from the Paris 2024 Games because of damage and rust, according to a new report.
According to the Daily Mail, concerns over the poor quality of medals handed out by Paris organisers emerged during last year’s event, with American skateboarder Nyjah Huston going viral after he revealed the shocking state of the bronze he won in the French capital.
Olympic and Paralympic medalists raise concerns about the rapid deterioration of their recently awarded medals, sparking widespread athlete frustration.
Several other athletes then shared images of the rapid deterioration of their medals, including Team USA stars Nick Itkin and Ilona Maher. It is reported that the management of the company who produced the medals, Monnaie de Paris, has been sacked due to the issue.
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Houston shared an image of the medal he won just 10 days after his event at last year’s Games. He said: “Alright, so these Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think.”
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The three-time world champion insists that Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce still have plenty more to offer the world.
He added: “I mean, look at that thing. It’s looking rough. Even the front. It’s starting to chip off a little. So yeah, I don’t know, Olympic medals, you maybe gotta step up the quality a little bit.”
Paris 2024 medals contain a sliver of the Eiffel Tower as a nod to the host city but the exact make up of medals vary between Olympics. Gold medals are mostly made of silver with a gold coating. Bronze medals are usually a mix of copper, zinc and tin. Bronze naturally oxidizes when exposed to air and moisture. How quickly bronze degrades depends on the proportion of metals in the alloy, although cheaper metals often quicken the process.
The International Olympic Committee told Mail Sport: “The Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution tasked with the production and quality control of the medals, in order to appraise any issues with medals to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage.
“Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved in an identical way to the originals. The process to provide any replacements should start in the coming weeks in a process managed by Paris 2024 and Monnaie de Paris, together with the National Olympic Committees of the athletes concerned. Paris 2024 is in contact with the relevant National Olympic Committees.”
