- The quality of the medals at the Paris Olympics outrages athletes: 'Paris 1924', 'crocodile skin'
- Olympic medals - with a special touch but low-quality
- After fierce criticism, the medals were replaced with new ones
The quality of the medals at the Paris Olympics outrages athletes: 'Paris 1924', 'crocodile skin'
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, which were supposed to be a memorable sporting celebration, have become the center of various scandals and controversies. From the scandalous opening ceremony to the problems with the quality of the medals, the Games have attracted so much criticism that many questions about the organization of future sporting events are still being asked today. One of the discussion topics is the fast-wearing medals, which were supposed to be a long-lasting symbol of the athletes' triumphs and challenges[1].
Just a few months after the Games ended, Olympic medal owners began complaining about the deplorably poor quality of the medals.
French swimmers Clément Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard shared photos on social media showing how their bronze medals had worn beyond recognition and lost their original shine in just four months. Ndoye-Brouard captioned his post with the ironic phrase "Paris 1924", underlining the fact that the medals look badly worn. He also commented bitterly:
"No, it's not a medal from last century or 1924."
For his part, Secchi wryly joked that his medal resembled a "crocodile skin" rather than a real Olympic medal.
It is worth noting that the problems with the medals did not start with the French athletes but with others. For example, the American skateboarder Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in the street skateboarding event, also publicly criticized the quality of the medals. Just a few days after receiving his award, he said:
"The medal looks like it has been through a war."
He also commented:
"These medals look great when they are brand new. But after a few days of wear and a bit of sweat, or letting friends wear it over the weekend, it's obviously not as good quality as one would expect."
Other athletes have voiced similar concerns, including Yasmin Harper of Great Britain, who won bronze with Scarlett Mew Jensen in the women's synchronized three-meter springboard.
Olympic medals - with a special touch but low-quality
The Paris Mint produced 5,084 discs - around 2,600 for the Olympic Games and 2,400 for the Paralympic Games.
The design of the Paris 2024 Olympic medals was entrusted to the luxury French jewelry house Chaumet. The front of the medals feature the inscription "Paris 2024," and on the reverse, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, Nike.
The medals have also been made with a special touch, each embedded with a fragment of the Eiffel Tower weighing 18 g. This is a polished piece of iron taken from the world-famous symbol of Paris. However, this unique detail and modern design fell short of the main requirement: long-term durability.
According to reports, the bronze medals suffered the most wear and tear and were more susceptible to mechanical damage and oxidation[2].
After fierce criticism, the medals were replaced with new ones
However, criticism from athletes and the public has forced the Paris Organising Committee of the Olympic Games to take action. Damaged medals are systematically replaced with new ones and engraved identically. However, despite this step, many are asking whether this situation could not have been avoided before the Games by simply ensuring that the medals were of sufficient quality.
Olympic medals are not only physical awards but also a symbol of the athletes' efforts and victory. Many athletes had hoped that the trophies they had won would become lasting symbols, but this situation has shown that design is sometimes prioritized over practical durability.
2024 Paris Olympics have been criticized before for various other reasons. The opening ceremony, which was intended to showcase the supposedly very modern culture of France, caused a wave of controversy and anger as various members of the LGBTQ community attended it, and the ceremony itself seemed too sexualized. In addition, there was great anger about the criteria for determining the sex of the boxers, as Imane Khelif, who had previously been denied access to the women's competition, took part and won.
