After days of embarrassing stories about Winter Olympic medals cracking, snapping, and even breaking in two after falling in the snow, organisers say they have finally fixed the problem.
Officials have also promised to repair any of the medals that were awarded in the opening three days of competition in Milano Cortina, after identifying on Monday that the issue stemmed from the medal’s cord, which is fitted with a breakaway mechanism required by law.
The system is designed to release automatically if pulled with force, preventing the wearer from being choked. However it led to problems that began on Saturday when the American downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson revealed that her gold medal had fallen off her ribbon as she jumped in celebration.
Speaking at the daily Milano Cortina briefing, spokesman Luca Casassa said: “Following reports of issues affecting a small number of medals, the organising committee immediately reviewed the matter, working closely with the State Mint, which produced the medals.
“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.
“Milano Cortina 2026 remains fully committed to ensuring that medals, which represent the pinnacle of every athlete’s journey, meet the highest standards of quality and care.”
Other athletes have also reported problems, including the Sweden cross‑country skier Ebba Andersson, who said that her medal “fell in the snow and broke in two” – while the US figure skater Alysa Liu also posted on Instagram that the ribbon had come off her team gold medal.
Casassa admitted that he did not know the precise number of medals that had been broken or damaged. “But it is important to stress that, as a precaution, we are rechecking all the medals to make sure that the athletes’ joy can really be 360 degrees when they conquer something which is so precious and so important for them, but also for us, the supporters,” he added.
