Leaders of the Winter Olympics, which opened only last Friday, acknowledged they are “closely examining” defects found in medals after several athletes reported that the ribbons attaching the medals came apart shortly after podium ceremonies.
Two American Olympic champions, Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, were the first to say their medals separated from the ribbons. Johnson, who won gold in the women’s downhill, displayed the damaged medal at her post-race news conference and said, “There’s the medal, there’s the ribbon — and the part that’s supposed to connect them just fell apart.”
Liu, who won gold as part of the U.S. team in the figure skating team event, posted a video on social media showing herself holding the medal and the ribbon separately, alongside the sarcastic caption, “My medal doesn’t need a ribbon.”
Germany’s team, which won bronze in biathlon, experienced a similar problem. In a video posted on Instagram, the medal can be seen falling off the ribbon during celebrations at the team hotel.
Andrea Franceschi, chief operating officer of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games, said the issue is under review. “We are fully aware of the situation and are examining exactly what caused the problem,” he said. “We will pay special attention to the medals — this is, after all, one of the most important moments for the athletes, and it has to be perfect.” The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee told the BBC it is awaiting a solution from the organizers, but for now it is unclear whether the damaged medals will be replaced.
This is not the first time the quality of Olympic medals has drawn criticism from athletes. As of last year, 220 requests were filed to replace medals from the Paris 2024 Olympics due to various defects — about 4% of all medals awarded at the Games. Paris organizers pledged at the time to replace every damaged medal. What will become of the medals in Milan-Cortina? Time will tell.