Olympic Organizers Reveal Cause of Broken Medals

So far, the Winter Olympics have treated American skier Breezy Johnson well.

She raced into first place during the women’s downhill, claiming an Olympic gold, but the medal came with a quick caveat. Or, more accurately, it broke, the ribbon separating from the medallion, amid some post-skiing celebrations.

“Don’t jump in them. I was jumping in excitement and it broke,” Johnson, according to The Associated Press. “I’m sure somebody will fix it. It’s not crazy broken, but a little broken.”

Soon after, Johnson received a replacement. But she couldn't, sadly, also hang on to the faulty one.

“They don’t, like, let you have multiple of those things,” Johnson said, laughing.

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Other athletes have also reported issues with their medals.

At least one, the Swedish cross‑country skier Ebba Andersson, said her hardware had broken. American figure skater Alysa Liu, who won team gold, shared a video on Instagram showing two pieces: a ribbon and a medal.

“My medal don’t need the ribbon,” she wrote.

“Makes a great coaster now,” one commenter replied.

The German biathlon team weighed in on social media, too, writing, “Hey Olympics, what’s up with those medals?” In their video, Justus Strelow’s medal clatters to the floor after escaping from the ribbon.

Meanwhile, Olympic organizers said they were looking into the issue with “maximum attention.”

Now, they say they solved the problem, The Guardian reported, also promising to fix any medals awarded within the first three days of the Olympic competition that couldn’t hold together. 

Reportedly, as required by law, the medals' cords are fitted with a breakaway mechanism so that they don’t accidentally choke the wearer, which caused the issue. That would explain why some ended up on the ground.

A spokesperson said that there had been reports that the issues impacted “​​a small number of medals,” according to The Guardian.

“A solution has been identified, and a targeted fix has been put in place. Athletes whose medals have been affected are encouraged to return them through the appropriate channels so that they can be promptly repaired and returned,” they continued.

It wasn’t the first time Olympic medals have come out of the oven a little early. After the Paris Games, more than 100 athletes requested that their medals be replaced as they flaked away. 

Our advice to would-be medalists? If you plan to get active after winning, maybe put the medal in your pocket first.