The competition at the Paris Olympics had not even ended when the first complaints about the quality of the medals arrived. American skater Nyjah Huston was among the first to share a photo of his discolored bronze just 10 days after stepping onto the podium.
But soon after, complaints from other athletes who claimed their medals had deteriorated started pouring in. Especially from athletes who had finished third and saw their bronze medals looking worn out.
Boxer Spanish Enmanuel Reyes Pla was one of those who showed his deteriorated bronze on LinkedIn and his disbelief. "I can't believe what's happening with the Olympic medals from Paris 2024! When I won my medal in Paris 2024, I never imagined I would have to search the internet on how to take care of it. But here we are. It turns out that the Olympic medals, symbols of effort, dedication, and dreams fulfilled, are deteriorating. Outrageous? Definitely. Surprising? Not at all," wrote the Spaniard at the beginning of the year.
Last week, the Daily Mail reported that more than 100 athletes have returned their Olympic medals due to their poor condition.
The British media also quoted statements from the International Olympic Committee stating that they are "working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for the production and quality control of the medals, to assess any issues with the medals and understand the circumstances and cause of any damage." Additionally, the organization stated that "the damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically to the originals."
Meanwhile, the luxury brand LVMH, a merger of Louis Vuitton and Moet Hennessy, responsible for the design of the medals, wants to distance itself from the controversy by denying any responsibility in their production, as stated by a spokesperson for the company to the Mail.