At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, some athletes are complaining about the quality of the medals.
Modern.az reports that photos of medals with broken ribbons, cracked upon impact, or shattered have been shared on social media.
Officials announced that they are aware of the situation and are investigating the problem.
American figure skater Alysa Liu showed her medal's ribbon had broken, while skier Breezy Johnson's gold medal detached from its ribbon and cracked when it fell. Johnson instructed Emma Aicher, who placed second after the competition, not to jump when wearing her medal.
The German biathlon team's bronze medal fell to the ground during a celebration, and the incident was shared on social media.
Andrea Francis, the person responsible for the Olympic Games, stated that they are thoroughly investigating what the problem is with the medals.
The issue of medal durability has also been recorded at previous Olympic Games.
At the 2022 Beijing and 2024 Paris Games, athletes complained about poor quality medals, and damaged medals were replaced by the manufacturer. Some athletes expressed their dissatisfaction, stating that the medals looked like “scrap metal”.
