Italy's National Mint to Repair Faulty Olympic Medals After Athlete Complaints
The organising committee for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics has confirmed that Italy's national mint will undertake rapid repairs for damaged medals, following complaints from athletes about faulty fixings. The issue, identified in the opening days of the Games, involves problems with ribbons and clasps rather than the gold, silver, or bronze medal designs themselves.
Organisers Address "Unusual Situation" with Targeted Intervention
Olympic organising committee spokesman Luca Casassa stated, "A limited number of medals have had a few problems." He explained that a "targeted intervention" was agreed with Rome's Zecca dello Stato (state mint), which produced the awards. Casassa urged affected athletes to return their medals for immediate repair, saying, "Athletes who have medals with problems are invited to give them back through the appropriate channels so that they can be immediately repaired."
Andrea Francisi, Milano Cortina Chief Games Operations Officer, addressed what he called an "unusual situation" on Monday. "We are fully aware of the situation and you have seen the pictures," he told reporters at a press conference. "We are looking into what exactly the problem is." He added that organisers would "pay maximum attention to the medals ... so that everything will be perfect because this is one of the most important things for the athletes."
Multiple Athletes Report Medal Damage During Celebrations
Among those affected is American downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson, who displayed her cracked and chipped medal to reporters. "It is heavy, it’s broken. It’s a look," she remarked, explaining, "I was jumping up and down in excitement, then it just fell off." She is not alone; German biathlete Justus Strelow reportedly saw his bronze medal break during team celebrations, while Swedish cross-country skier Ebba Andersson's silver medal from the women's skiathlon also suffered damage.
The rapid repair offer comes as organisers aim to ensure athletes receive perfect mementos from the Games, with the state mint poised to fix the issues promptly. This development follows earlier controversies, including backlash over an AI introduction at the Winter Olympics, highlighting the challenges in managing such a large-scale international event.
