Organizers are investigating the quality of this year’s Olympic medals after multiple athletes have reported they have fallen off ribbons.
Utahn and gold medalist Breezy Johnson was one of the first athletes to report an issue after celebrating her downhill victory Feb. 8.
“I was jumping up and down in excitement, and it fell off. It's definitely heavy, heavier than I expected. I think that’s maybe why it broke,” she said in an interview after her race.
In a press conference, the Alpine skier showed the medal, the ribbon and a small connector piece that should hold the two together.
The Associated Press reports the skier didn’t wait long for a replacement. By Tuesday’s combined team event, Johnson had a new one, though it still needed to be engraved.
A host of other athletes also reported their medals breaking within hours of awards ceremonies.
That includes U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu who posted a clip on social media of her gold medal detached from its ribbon.
TV broadcast footage in Germany captured the moment biathlete Justus Strelow realized his mixed relay bronze had fallen off its ribbon as he danced to a song with his teammates.
Chief games operations officer for Milan Cortina Andrea Francisi said they are working on a solution.
“We are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal is the dream of the athletes, so we want that 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,” Francisi said.
The Associated Press reports it isn’t the first time the quality of Olympic medals has come under scrutiny. After the 2024 Summer Olympics, some medals had to be replaced after athletes complained they were starting to tarnish or corrode.
