site.btaWinter Games Organizers Are Looking into Reports of Olympic Medals Breaking Apart

The Organizing Committee of the Milano Cortina Olympic Games is reviewing reports that Olympic medals are breaking apart, after several athletes complained that their awards detached from their ribbons just days into the competition.

Although only two competition days have passed since the official opening of the Games on February 6, the issue has already come under scrutiny. One of the first athletes to publicly raise concerns was US downhill champion Breezy Johnson, who spoke about the problem on Monday.

A similar incident occurred with the bronze medal won by Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov on Sunday in the parallel giant slalom event in alpine snowboarding. After the medal ceremony, Zamfirov's medal came off its ribbon but he managed to reattach it.

The problem appears to be linked to the medals’ relatively heavy weight combined with a soft pin that attaches them to the ribbon, which bends easily during sudden movements.

The Games’ Organizing Committee said in a statement that it is aware of the reports concerning the Olympic medals and is reviewing the matter in coordination with its competent partners.