Olympic Medals Falling Apart: Athletes Report Issues at Winter Games

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – Celebrations for Breezy Johnson’s historic gold medal in the women’s Olympic downhill were briefly marred Sunday when the athlete’s medal detached from its ribbon during her jubilant post-race celebration, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal.

Johnson, 30, became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the downhill event since Lindsey Vonn’s victory in 2010, finishing the course in 1 minute, 36.10 seconds. Germany’s Emma Aicher took silver, just 0.04 seconds behind, although Italy’s Sofia Goggia claimed bronze.

The incident with Johnson’s medal was not isolated. Reports indicate that several other athletes have experienced similar issues with their medals becoming unattached from the ribbons. Alysa Liu, a member of the American team that won gold in the team figure skating event, posted a video on Instagram showing her holding the medal and ribbon separately, with the caption, “My medal doesn’t demand a ribbon.”

The German biathlon team also documented a similar incident in a video shared online, showing a bronze medal falling from the ribbon during a celebratory dance. The team’s post included the question, “Hey Olympics, what’s going on with these medals?” Sweden’s Ebba Andersson, who won silver in cross-country skiing and Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov, a bronze medalist in snowboarding, also experienced medals detaching from their ribbons.

Organizers of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are investigating the cause of the issue and working to prevent further occurrences. Andrea Francisi, the chief operating officer of the games, stated that the team is addressing the problem with “maximum attention,” emphasizing the importance of the medal presentation for athletes. “Of course, it is something in which we want to be perfect, because the awarding of the medal is one of the most important moments for the athletes,” Francisi said.

The medals for the 2026 Winter Olympics were manufactured by IPZS, Italy’s state mint and polygraphic institute. The medals are approximately 7.5 centimeters in diameter and less than a centimeter thick, with gold medals weighing around 450 grams. IPZS has not yet issued a statement regarding the reported issues.

The medals were produced using recycled materials, specifically from the institute’s own manufacturing waste. This is not the first time the Olympics have faced issues with damaged medals; more than 200 medals were exchanged after the 2024 Summer Games in Paris due to visible defects.