The quality of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games medals does not appear to reflect the athletes’ efforts, as some competitors have complained about the issue.
According to the BBC, two American gold medal winners, Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, said the ribbons tore off their medals shortly after the awarding ceremony. Johnson displayed the damaged medal during a press conference, noting that it broke when she was jumping in excitement after the competition.
@teamusa @Breezy Johnson’s Olympic gold medal did not pass the jump test 😂 #winterolympics #teamusa #breezyjohnson #gold #alpineskiing ♬ original sound – Team USA
Liu reported a similar problem on social media. After winning the figure skating team event, the athlete posted a video showing the medal with its ribbon torn apart.
@frigouscigous I just got this olympic gold medal, already broke it
♬ Black Beatles – car.archives.music
A German biathlete’s medal also failed a «jump stress test.» In an Instagram video, the medal can be seen falling off the ribbon during a team celebration at a hotel.
Andrea Francisi, Chief Games Operations Officer at Milano Cortina 2026, stated that the organizers have launched an investigation into the situation.
«We are fully aware of the situation. We are looking into exactly what the problem is. We are going to pay maximum attention to the medals, and obviously this is something we want to be perfect when the medal is handed over, because this is one of the most important moments for the athletes,» the BBC quoted Francisi as saying.
This marks another instance in which the quality of Olympic medals has come under scrutiny. Athletes at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics filed 220 applications to replace their trophies due to damage and wear.
