"Gold Medal Fiasco: Olympic Athletes' Medals Shatter During Celebrations"
The Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina have hit a snag, with multiple athletes reporting that their medals shattered during celebrations on the opening weekend of the Games. The mishap has left organizers scrambling to find a solution and repair the damage.
According to gold medalist Breezy Johnson, the American downhill ski champion who won the women's downhill event, her medal broke when she jumped for joy in excitement. "Don't jump in them," she joked, adding that while the break was not severe, it still needed repair.
Johnson's teammate, Justus Strelow of Germany, had a similar experience during his mixed relay bronze-winning performance. His medal clattered to the floor after the ribbon around his neck came loose, leaving behind a small piece of broken clasps.
US figure skater Alysa Liu also shared her own experience on social media, posting a photo of her team event gold medal detached from its official ribbon with the caption "My medal don't need the ribbon."
The situation has prompted concerns over the quality and durability of Olympic medals. Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for the Milan Cortina organizing committee, confirmed that they are working to resolve the issue.
"We're paying maximum attention to this matter," Francisi stated, emphasizing that the integrity of the medal is paramount. This comes on the heels of a similar incident during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where medals had to be replaced due to corrosion issues.
As the Winter Games continue, athletes are now left wondering about the long-term implications of these fragile medals and what they might mean for future Olympic events.
The Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina have hit a snag, with multiple athletes reporting that their medals shattered during celebrations on the opening weekend of the Games. The mishap has left organizers scrambling to find a solution and repair the damage.
According to gold medalist Breezy Johnson, the American downhill ski champion who won the women's downhill event, her medal broke when she jumped for joy in excitement. "Don't jump in them," she joked, adding that while the break was not severe, it still needed repair.
Johnson's teammate, Justus Strelow of Germany, had a similar experience during his mixed relay bronze-winning performance. His medal clattered to the floor after the ribbon around his neck came loose, leaving behind a small piece of broken clasps.
US figure skater Alysa Liu also shared her own experience on social media, posting a photo of her team event gold medal detached from its official ribbon with the caption "My medal don't need the ribbon."
The situation has prompted concerns over the quality and durability of Olympic medals. Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for the Milan Cortina organizing committee, confirmed that they are working to resolve the issue.
"We're paying maximum attention to this matter," Francisi stated, emphasizing that the integrity of the medal is paramount. This comes on the heels of a similar incident during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where medals had to be replaced due to corrosion issues.
As the Winter Games continue, athletes are now left wondering about the long-term implications of these fragile medals and what they might mean for future Olympic events.
like, i get it if u're super excited and wanna celebrate but shatter them in half? 
at least breezy was able to laugh about it and joke around. anyway, gotta feel for the athletes who are worried now. hopefully they can fix the issue ASAP so no one gets affected by it. btw, if medals can break that easily, maybe they should make 'em out of something more durable like titanium or somethin' 
! Who breaks a gold medal? 
I mean, i get it, celebratin is fun but not on ur precious medal fam 
! And what's up with the design, anyway? It looks like they just phoned it in. Cheap materials and all that jazz... Can't we do better than this? 
At least make sure it's gold-plated or somethin' 
, but come on, it's not exactly what you want to share when you're trying to bask in the glory of your Olympic win 
.
But seriously, can't they just make these medals more durable or something? It's not like it's going to break the bank (pun intended) 
. Anyway, fingers crossed that future Olympics have better, less fragile medals 
!
I'm so done with these Olympic medals! First, we have them shattering during celebrations like it's nothing, and now I'm worried about the material they're made of? Like, who thought it was a good idea to make medals that are basically just glorified paperweights?
and what's with the ribbon thingy? can't they just make a stronger one next time?