Olympic Medals Breaking at Milan Cortina Winter Games Sparks Investigation
Several Olympic athletes have reported their medals breaking within hours of receiving them at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, prompting event organisers to launch an urgent investigation. The sporting event authorities are now examining the incidents with what they describe as 'maximum attention' after a spate of medals detached from their ribbons during celebrations on the opening weekend of the Games.
Athletes Share Their Experiences
Women's downhill ski gold medalist Breezy Johnson revealed how her medal broke shortly after her victory on Sunday. 'Don't jump in them. I was jumping in excitement, and it broke,' she explained. 'I'm sure somebody will fix it. It's not crazy broken, but a little broken.'
Johnson's teammate Keely Cashman suggested the weight of the gold medal might have contributed to the failure. 'I wasn't super surprised. I felt the weight of it, so I was like, that better be a hefty string or whatever was holding it,' Cashman commented on Monday.
Multiple Incidents Captured
Television footage broadcast in Germany captured the moment biathlete Justus Strelow discovered his mixed relay bronze medal had fallen from the ribbon around his neck. The medal clattered to the floor as he danced with teammates to celebratory music. His German teammates cheered as Strelow attempted unsuccessfully to reattach the medal before realizing a smaller piece, likely the clasp, had broken off and remained on the floor.
US figure skater Alysa Liu also posted a social media clip showing her team event gold medal detached from its official ribbon. 'My medal don't need the ribbon,' Liu wrote early Monday, highlighting the widespread nature of the issue.
Organisers Respond to Concerns
Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for the Milan Cortina organising committee, confirmed they are working on a solution. 'We are aware of the situation, we have seen the images. Obviously, we are trying to understand in detail if there is a problem,' Francisi stated on Monday.
'But obviously we are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal is the dream of the athletes, so we want that obviously in the moment they are given it that everything is absolutely perfect, because we really consider it to be the most important moment. So we are working on it.'
A United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee spokesperson told BBC Sport they are awaiting organisers' resolution of the issue. It has not yet been confirmed whether athletes will receive replacement medals.
Historical Precedent for Medal Quality Issues
This is not the first time Olympic medal quality has come under scrutiny. As of February 2025, a total of 220 requests had been made to replace medals won at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics due to wear and tear, representing approximately four percent of those awarded.
Some medals from the Paris event required replacement after athletes, including diver Yasmin Harper who won Team GB's first medal of the 2024 Games, complained they were tarnishing or corroding, developing a mottled appearance likened to crocodile skin.
Nyjah Huston, who earned bronze in men's skateboard street, posted a video to Instagram in 2024 showing his medal already chipped and losing colour days after winning it. He described the medal as looking like 'it went to war and back' and noted it was 'not as high quality as you'd think' as the bronze appeared to have rubbed off.
'Alright, so these Olympic medals look great when they're brand new,' Huston told his five million followers. 'But after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and letting my friends wear it over the weekend...' he continued, before zooming in to show the deteriorated condition. 'They're apparently not as high quality as you'd think… It's looking rough… I don't know, Olympic medals, we gotta step up the quality a little bit.'
Paris 2024 organisers had committed to replacing any damaged medals, setting a precedent for current concerns.
Personal Traditions Amidst the Controversy
Following her medal incident, Breezy Johnson revealed she maintains a tradition of knitting a new headband before each race. She completed her headband for the downhill on Saturday night, finishing it just before the competition. Johnson plans to auction the light blue headband with red and white diagonal stripes to raise money for charity.
When asked if she might wear the headband again given its apparent good luck, Johnson expressed surprise. 'I have to have a new one,' she insisted. 'I know that even if I did well in one of them, if I bring it back, it's not lucky anymore.'
The combination of immediate medal failures and historical quality concerns has created significant attention around Olympic memorabilia standards, with athletes and organisers alike hoping for swift resolution as the Games continue.
