Olympic Medal

A gold medal awarded at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada

An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal: gold, awarded to the winner; silver, awarded to the runner-up; and bronze, awarded to the third-place competitor. In addition to generally supporting their Olympic athletes, some countries provide sums of money and gifts to medal winners, depending on the classes and number of medals won.

Medal designs have varied considerably since the first Olympic Games in 1896, particularly in size and weight. A standard obverse (front) design of the medals for the Summer Olympic Games began in 1928 and remained for many years, until its replacement at the 2004 Games as the result of controversy surrounding the use of the Roman Colosseum rather than a building representing the Games' Greek roots. The medals of the Winter Olympic Games never had a common design, but regularly feature snowflakes.

Introduction and early history

The olive wreath was the prize for the winner at the Ancient Olympic Games. It was an olive branch, of the wild-olive tree that grew at Olympia, intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe. According to Pausanias it was introduced by Heracles as a prize for the winner of the running race to honour Zeus.

When the modern Olympic Games began in 1896 medals started to be given to successful competitors. However, gold medals were not awarded at the inaugural Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The winners were instead given a silver medal and an olive branch, while runners-up received a laurel branch and a copper or bronze medal. In 1900, most winners received cups or trophies instead of medals.

The custom of the sequence of gold, silver, and bronze for the first three places dates from the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze medals to the three best placed athletes in each event of the 1896 and 1900 Games. If there is a tie for any of the top three places all competitors are entitled to receive the appropriate medal according to IOC rules.

Medals are not the only awards given to competitors; every athlete placed first to eighth receives an Olympic diploma. Also, at the main host stadium, the names of all medal winners are written onto a wall.

Production and design

A collection of medals won by Polish athletes, at the Museum of Sport and Tourism in Warsaw

The IOC dictates the physical properties of the medals and has the final decision about the finished design. Specifications for the medals are developed along with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) hosting the Games, though the IOC has brought in some set rules:

• Recipients: The top three competitors receive medals
• Shape: Usually circular, featuring an attachment for a chain or ribbon
• Diameter: A minimum of 60 mm
• Thickness: A minimum of 3 mm
• Material:
  • First place: It is composed of silver (at least .925 grade) covered with 6 grams of pure gold.
  • Second place: It has the same composition as the first place medal without the gilding.
  • Third place: It is mostly copper with some tin and zinc (worth approximately $3).
• Event details: The sport for which the medal has been awarded should be written on the medal

The first Olympic medals in 1896 were designed by French sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain and depicted Zeus holding Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, on the obverse and the Acropolis on the reverse. They were made by the Paris Mint who also made the medals for the 1900 Olympic Games hosted by Paris. This started the tradition of giving the responsibility of minting the medals to the host city. For the next few Olympiads the host was also given the ability to choose the medal design.

Trionfo

In 1923 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched a competition for sculptors to design the medals for the Summer Olympic Games. Giuseppe Cassioli's Trionfo design was chosen as the winner in 1928. The obverse brought back Nike but this time as the main focus, holding a winner's crown and palm with a depiction of the Colosseum in the background. In the top right section of the medal a space was left for the name of the Olympic host and the Games numeral. The reverse features a crowd of people carrying a triumphant athlete. His winning design was first presented at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The competition saw this design used for 40 years until the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich became the first Games with a different design for the reverse side of the medal.

Cassioli's design continued to inspire the obverse of the medal for many more years, though recreated each time, with the Olympic host and numeral updated. The obverse remained true to the Trionfo design until the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where the IOC allowed an updated version to be created. For the next few events they mandated the use of the Nike motif but allowed other aspects to change. The trend ended in 2004 due to the negative publicity in reaction to the design of medal for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Wojciech Pietranik, the designer of the medal, along with the organisers of the Games were criticised by the Greek press for using the Roman Colosseum rather than the Greek Parthenon. Pietranik's original design had featured the Sydney Opera House on the obverse but the IOC concluded that it should be replaced by the Colosseum and a chariot rider. He made the changes and, despite the criticism, the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games decided to continue with the design as it was, noting that there was insufficient time to complete another version and that it would be too costly. The error had remained for 76 years until a new style depicting the Panathinaiko Stadium was introduced at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This new obverse design would go on to be used at the 2008 and 2012 Games.

Custom reverse designs

The German Olympic Committee, Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland, were the first Summer Games organisers to elect to change the reverse of the medal. The 1972 design was created by Gerhard Marcks, an artist from the Bauhaus, and features mythological twins Castor and Pollux. Since then the Organising Committee of the host city has been given the freedom of the design of the reverse, with the IOC giving final approval.

Comparison between Summer and Winter

The IOC has the final decision on the specifications of each design for all Olympic medals, including the Summer Games, Winter Games, and Paralympic Games. There has been a greater variety of design for the Winter Games; unlike with the Summer Games, the IOC never mandated one particular design. The medal at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France did not even feature the Olympic rings. Nike was featured on the medals of the 1932 and 1936 Games but has only appeared on one medal design since then. One regular motif is the use of the snowflake, while laurel leaves and crowns appear on several designs. The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius features on four Winter Games medals but does not appear on any Summer Games medal.

For three events in a row, hosts of the Winter Games included different materials in the medals: glass (1992), sparagmite (1994), and lacquer (1998). It was not until the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China that a Summer Olympic host chose to use something different, in this case jade. While every Summer Olympic medal except for the 1900 Games has been circular, the shapes of the Winter Games have been considerably more varied. The Winter Games medals are also generally larger, thicker, and heavier than those for the Summer Games.

Individual design details

Summer Olympic medal designs

Details about the medals from each of the Summer Olympic Games:

Games	Host	Details	Designer(s)	Mint	Dia. (mm)	Thk. (mm)	Wgt. (g)	image
1896	Athens, Greece	Obverse: Zeus holding Nike Reverse: The Acropolis	Jules-Clément Chaplain	Paris Mint	48	3.8	47
1900	Paris, France	Obverse: Winged goddess holding laurel branches; Paris in the background Reverse: A victorious athlete holding a laurel branch; the Acropolis in the background Note: The only Olympic medal that is not circular	Frédérique Vernon	Paris Mint	59 x 41	3.2	53
1904	St. Louis, Missouri	Obverse: Nike holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf Reverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown; Greek temple in the background	Dieges & Clust	Dieges & Clust	37.8	3.5	21
1908	London, Great Britain	Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures Reverse: Saint George atop a horse Edge: "Vaughton", event name and winner	Bertram Mackennal	Vaughton & Sons	33	4.4	21
1912	Stockholm, Sweden	Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures Reverse: A herald opening the Games with a statue of Pehr Henrik Ling behind him	Bertram Mackennal (obverse) Erik Lindberg (reverse)	C.C. Sporrong & Co	33.4	1.5	24
1920	Antwerp, Belgium	Obverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf Reverse: Statue of Silvius Brabo Edge: Name, event, team, "Antwerp", and the date	Josué Dupon	Coosmans	59	4.4	79
1924	Paris, France	Obverse: An athlete helping another to stand Reverse: A harp and various items of sports equipment	André Rivaud	Paris Mint	55	4.8	79
1928	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Design: Trionfo Note: This obverse design, sometimes recreated, remains until 2004, the reverse design remained until 1972	Giuseppe Cassioli	Dutch State Mint	55	3	66
1932	Los Angeles, U.S.	Design: Trionfo	Giuseppe Cassioli	Whitehead & Hoag	55.3	5.7	96
1936	Berlin, Germany	Design: Trionfo "B.H MAYER PFORZHEIM 990"	Giuseppe Cassioli	B.H. Mayer	55	5	71
1948	London, Great Britain	Design: Trionfo	Giuseppe Cassioli	John Pinches	51.4	5.1	60
1952	Helsinki, Finland	Design: Trionfo Edge: 916 M / Y6 (Factory Stamp)	Giuseppe Cassioli	Kultakeskus Oy	51	4.8	46.5
1956	Melbourne, Australia	Design: Trionfo	Giuseppe Cassioli	K.G. Luke	51	4.8	68
1960	Rome, Italy	Design: Trionfo Surround: A bronze laurel wreath and laurel leaf chain	Giuseppe Cassioli	Artistice Fiorentini	68	6.5	211
1964	Tokyo, Japan	Design: Trionfo	Giuseppe Cassioli and Toshikaka Koshiba	Japan Mint	60	7.5	62
1968	Mexico City, Mexico	Design: Trionfo	Giuseppe Cassioli		60	6	130
1972	Munich, Germany	Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus and Leda Edge: Winner's name and sport	Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse) Gerhard Marcks (reverse)	Bavarian Mint	66	6.5	102
1976	Montreal, Canada	Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: A stylised laurel crown and the Montreal Games logo Edge: Name of the sport	Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse)	Royal Canadian Mint	60	5.8	154
1980	Moscow, Russia	Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: A stylised Olympic flame and the Moscow Games logo	Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse) Ilya Postol (reverse)	Moscow Mint	60	6.8	125
1984	Los Angeles, U.S.	Obverse: Trionfo Reverse:An Olympic champion held aloft by a crowd Note: The reverse returns to the Cassioli design	Giuseppe Cassioli	Jostens, Inc	60	7.9	141
1988	Seoul, South Korea	Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: An outline of a dove carrying a laurel branch and the Seoul Olympic logo	Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse)	Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation	60	7	152
1992	Barcelona, Spain	Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: Barcelona Games logo	Xavier Corbero	Royal Mint of Spain	70	9.8	231
1996	Atlanta, U.S.	Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: A stylised olive branch, the Atlanta Games logo, and "Centennial Olympic Games" Edge: "Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games"	Malcolm Grear Designers	Reed & Barton	70	5	181
2000	Sydney, Australia	Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: The Sydney Opera House, Olympic Flame, and Olympic rings Edge: Event name	Wojciech Pietranik	Royal Australian Mint	68	5	180
2004	Athens, Greece	Obverse: Nike with Panathinaiko Stadium in the background Reverse: The Olympic Flame, the opening lines of Pindar's Eighth Olympic Ode, and the Athens Games logo	Elena Votsi		60	5	135
2008	Beijing, China	Obverse: Nike with Panathinaiko Stadium in the background Reverse: a jade ring with the Beijing Games logo in the centre and the event details on the outer edge	Xiao Yong	China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation	70	6	200
2012	London, United Kingdom	Obverse: Nike with Panathinaiko Stadium in the background Reverse: The River Thames and the London Games logo with angled lines in the background	David Watkins (designer)	Royal Mint	85	7	375–400

Winter Olympic medal designs

Details about the medals from each of the Winter Olympic Games:

Games	Host	Details	Designer(s)	Mint	Diameter (mm)	Thickness (mm)	Weight (g)
1924	Chamonix, France	Obverse: A skier holding skates and skis and the designer's name Reverse: Written information about the Games	Template:Sortname	Paris Mint	55	4	75
1928	St. Moritz, Switzerland	Obverse: A skater surrounded by snowflakes Reverse: Olive branches and host details	Template:Sortname	Huguenin Frères	50.4	3	51
1932	Lake Placid, U.S.	Obverse: Nike with the Adirondack Mountains in the background Reverse: Laurel leaves and written host details Shape: Circular but not with a straight edge		Robbins Company	55	3	51
1936	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Obverse: Nike atop a horse-drawn chariot traversing an arch over winter sporting equipment Reverse: Large Olympic rings	Template:Sortname	Deschler & Sohn	100	4	324
1948	St. Moritz, Switzerland	Obverse: The Olympic torch with snowflakes in the background and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A snowflake and written host details	Template:Sortname	Huguenin Frères	60.2	3.8	103
1952	Oslo, Norway	Obverse: The Olympic torch and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A pictogram of Oslo City Hall with three snowflakes and written host details	Template:Sortname and Template:Sortname	Th. Marthinsen	70	3	137.5
1956	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Obverse: An "ideal woman" and written host details Reverse: A large snowflake with Pomagagnon in the background, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and further host details	Template:Sortname	Lorioli Bros.	60.2	3	120.5
1960	Squaw Valley, U.S.	Obverse: The head of a male and female with host details written around them Reverse: Large Olympic rings, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and the name of the sport	Template:Sortname	Herff Jones Company	55.3	4.3	95
1964	Innsbruck, Austria	Obverse: Torlauf Mountains, "Innsbruck 1964", and "Torlauf" Reverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them	Template:Sortname (obverse) Template:Sortname (reverse)	Austrian Mint	72	4	110
1968	Grenoble, France	Obverse: Three snowflakes and the red rose emblem of Grenoble surrounded by host details Reverse: A stylised image of each sport	Template:Sortname	Paris Mint	61	3.3	124
1972	Sapporo, Japan	Obverse: Pictogram of lines in the snow Reverse: A snowflake, the sun, and the Olympic rings Shape: Square with rounded, wavy lines	Template:Sortname (obverse) Template:Sortname (reverse)	Mint Bureau of the Finance Ministry	57.3 x 61.3	5	130
1976	Innsbruck, Austria	Obverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them Reverse: The Alps, Bergisel, and the Olympic flame	Template:Sortname (obverse) Template:Sortname (reverse)	Austrian Mint	70	5.4	164
1980	Lake Placid, U.S.	Obverse: The Olympic torch held in front of the Adirondack Mountains Reverse: A pine cone sprig and the Lake Placid logo	Tiffany & Co.	Medallic Art Company	81	6.1	205
1984	Sarajevo, Yugoslavia	Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it Reverse: An athletes head wearing a laurel crown Shape: Circular but set in a large rounded rectangular shape	Template:Sortname	Zlatara Majdanpek and Zavod za izradu novčanica	71.1 x 65.1	3.1	164
1988	Calgary, Canada	Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it Reverse: Two people, one wearing a laurel and the other wearing a headdress made up of winter sports equipment	Template:Sortname	Jostens	69	5	193
1992	Albertville, France	Obverse: Glass set into the metal, showing the Olympic rings in front of mountains Reverse: Rear side of glass section	Template:Sortname	René Lalique	92	9.1	169
1994	Lillehammer, Norway	Sparagmite partially covered in gold, one side showing the Olympic rings and host details, the other depicting the sport in which the medal was won and the Games emblem	Template:Sortname	Th. Marthinsen	80	8.5	131
1998	Nagano, Japan	Obverse: Partly lacquered, shows the Games emblem Reverse: Mainly lacquer, containing the Games emblem over the Shinshu mountains	Template:Sortname	Kiso Kurashi Craft Center	80	8	261
2002	Salt Lake City, U.S.	Obverse: An athlete carrying the Olympic torch steps out of flames Reverse: Nike holding a victory leaf surrounded by event details Shape: Irregular circle, like the rocks in Utah's rivers	Template:Sortname, Axiom Design	O.C. Tanner	85	10	567
2006	Turin, Italy	Obverse: Graphic elements of the Games Reverse: Pictogram of the specific event Shape: Circular with a hole representing a piazza	Template:Sortname	Ottaviani	107	10	469
2010	Vancouver, Canada	Obverse: An individually cropped section of a large Native American artwork (orca or raven), making each medal unique Reverse: Emblem of the Games and event details Shape: Circular but with undulations stopping it from being flat	Template:Sortname and Template:Sortname	Royal Canadian Mint	100	6	500–576

Presentation

Jim Thorpe receives his medal at the 1912 Summer Olympics

The presentation of the medals and awards changed significantly until the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles brought in what has now become standard. Before then all the medals were awarded at the closing ceremony, with the athletes wearing evening dress for the first few Games. For the first time at the 1932 Games the competitors received their medals immediately after each event atop a podium.

The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy were the first in which the medals were placed around the neck of the athletes. The medals hung from a chain of laurel leaves, while they are now hung from a coloured ribbon. When Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics the competitors on the podium also received an olive wreath crown.

See also

• James Brendan Connolly, recipient of the first winner's medal