Organizers of the 2026 Winter Olympics say they’re investigating why medals are breaking — not even one week into the Video games — after some athletes reported points.
Group USA alpine ski racing gold medallist Breezy Johnson revealed throughout a press convention that the ribbon of her sporting {hardware} had damaged away from the steel shortly after she was offered with the prize.
“So there’s the medal. And there’s the ribbon,” she stated, displaying the lone blue sash to a room stuffed with reporters. “And right here’s the little piece that’s supposed to enter the ribbon to carry the medal, and yeah, it got here aside.”
“I used to be leaping up and down in pleasure, then it simply fell off,” she continued, earlier than holding up the indifferent gold pendant.
“I’m positive any person will repair it…. It’s not like loopy damaged, nevertheless it’s somewhat damaged,” she added, earlier than warning a fellow athlete to not leap whereas carrying the medal.
American gold medallist Breezy Johnson reveals her damaged medal to the media following the ladies’s alpine downhill snowboarding on the Tofane Alpine Snowboarding Centre, Cortina d’Ampezzo, on Day 2 of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Andrew Milligan/PA Photos through Getty Photos
Equally, Alysa Liu, Group USA determine skating gold medallist, revealed that her medal had damaged aside shortly after she received it.
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“My medal don’t want the ribbon,” she wrote in an Instagram video displaying off the separated components.
Fellow crew occasion gold medallist Ellie Kam stated Liu, her roommate, was leaping for pleasure when the medal fell and picked up “a few dents.”
“She was so excited that she was leaping up and down, and the medal is somewhat bit too heavy for the ribbon, I feel, so it simply popped off,” Kam informed Reuters on Monday.
Liu later had the medal changed, Kam stated.
“It was much more drama than I assumed there was going to be after I received again to my room,” she added. “However all is properly and good.”
German athlete Justus Strelow’s medal additionally fell aside throughout celebrations.
A video of him and his biathlon crew having fun with their third-place end confirmed the medal separating from the ribbon and falling to the bottom as he jumped up and down.
“Hey Olympics, what’s up with these medals?” the caption reads. “Are they not meant to be celebrated?”
In the meantime, Swedish cross‑nation skier Ebba Andersson stated her silver medal “fell within the snow and broke in two” throughout a victory lap.
“Now I hope the organizers have a Plan B for damaged medals,” she stated.
Milan-Cortina 2026 chief Video games operations officer Andrea Francisi informed the BBC that occasion organizers have been conscious of the difficulty and have been investigating.
“We’re absolutely conscious of the scenario,” he stated. “We’re trying into precisely what the issue is.
“We’re going to pay most consideration to the medals, and clearly, that is one thing we need to be excellent when the medal is handed over as a result of this is among the most vital moments for the athletes.”
A supply near the scenario informed Reuters the difficulty could stem from the medals’ wire, which is fitted with a breakaway mechanism required by regulation.
The system is designed to launch robotically if pulled with pressure, stopping the wearer from being choked.
— With information from Reuters
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