 A silver medal awarded to the winner of an event at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. | |
| Awarded for | Given to successful competitors in variousOlympic Sports |
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| Presented by | International Olympic Committee |
| History | |
| First award | 1896 |
| Website | www.olympic.org/ |
| Olympic Games |
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AnOlympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of theOlympic Games. There are three classes ofmedal to be won:gold,silver, andbronze, awarded to first, second, and third place, respectively. The granting ofawards is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocols.
Medal designs have varied considerably since the Games in 1896, particularly in the size of the medals for theSummer Olympic Games. The design selected for the1928 Games remained until its replacement at the2004 Games inAthens, where the use of the RomanColosseum was replaced by the GreekPanathenaic Stadium,[1] appropriate to represent Olympic values. The medals of theWinter Olympic Games never had a common design, but regularly feature snowflakes and the event where the medal has been won.
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.[2] In the2024 Paris Games, 33 countries confirmed that they would award prizes to medallists, with 15 awarding cash prizes over $100,000.[3]
Theolive wreath was the prize for the winner at theAncient Olympic Games. It was anolive branch, off thewild-olive tree that grew atOlympia,[4] intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe. According toPausanias, it was introduced byHeracles as a prize for the winner of therunning race to honourZeus.[5]
When the modern Olympic Games began in 1896 medals started to be given to successful olympian competitors. However,gold medals were not awarded at theinaugural Olympics in 1896 inAthens, Greece.[6] The winners were instead given asilver medal and anolive branch,[7] whilst runners-up received alaurel branch and a copper orbronze medal.[8]
The1900 Summer Olympics is unique in being the only Olympic Games to feature rectangular medals, which were designed byFrédérique Vernon.[9]Gilt silver medals were awarded for 1st place in shooting, lifesaving, automobile racing and gymnastics.[10][11] Second placesilver medals were awarded in shooting, rowing, yachting, tennis, gymnastics, sabre, fencing, equestrian and athletics.[12] Third placebronze medals were awarded in gymnastics, firefighting and shooting.[13][14] In many sports, however, medals were not awarded. With most of the listed prizes being cups and other trophies.[15]
The custom of the sequence ofgold,silver, andbronze for the first three places in all events dates from the1904 Summer Olympics inSt. Louis, Missouri in theUnited States. TheInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) has retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze medals to the three best-placed athletes in each event of the 1896 and1900 Games.[16][15] 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.[17] Some combat sports (such asboxing,judo,taekwondo andwrestling) award two bronze medals per competition, resulting in, overall, more bronze medals being awarded than the other colours.
Medals are not the only awards given to competitors; every athlete placed first to eighth receives anOlympic diploma. Also, at the main host stadium, the names of all medal winners are written onto a wall.[17] Finally, as noted below, all athletes receive a participation medal and diploma.
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 theNational Olympic Committee (NOC) hosting the Games, though the IOC has brought in some set rules:[17][18]
The first Olympic medals in 1896 were designed by French sculptorJules-Clément Chaplain and depictedZeus holdingNike, theGreek goddess of victory, on the obverse and theAcropolis on the reverse.[6] They were made by theParis Mint, which also made the medals for the 1900 Olympic Games, hosted by Paris. This started the tradition of giving the responsibility ofminting the medals to the host city. For the next few Olympiads, the host city also chose the medal design. Until 1912 the gold medals were made of solid gold.[23]
In 1923 theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) launched a competition for sculptors to design the medals for theSummer Olympic Games.Giuseppe Cassioli'sTrionfo design was chosen as the winner in 1928.[6][24][25] The obverse brought back Nike but this time as the main focus, holding a winner's crown and palm with a depiction of theColosseum in the background.[24] 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 the1928 Summer Olympics inAmsterdam. The medals for the1960 Games inRome inverted the design, with the obverse featuring the crowd and the reverse featuring Nike.[26] The competition saw this design used for 40 years until the1972 Summer Olympics inMunich became the first Games with a different design for the reverse side of the medal.[6]
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 theTrionfo design until the1992 Summer Olympics inBarcelona, 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.[18]
The trend ended after 2000, due to the negative reaction to the medal design for the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney. The designer of the 2000 medal (Wojciech Pietranik) had originally featured theSydney Opera House on the obverse instead of the traditionalRomanColosseum but theInternational Olympic Committee decided that the Colosseum should remain.[27] TheGreek press criticised the design for ignorance of the birthplace of the Olympic Games, pointing out that the long-standing feature on the front of medals was mistakenly depicting the Roman Colosseum rather than the GreekParthenon.[6][28] The Sydney Organising Committee 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.[18] After 76 years a new style by designerElena Votsi depicting thePanathenaic Stadium was introduced at the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens.[29] This new obverse design remains in use.
The German Olympic Committee,Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland, was the first Summer Games organisers to elect to change the reverse of the medal. The 1972 design was created byGerhard Marcks, an artist from theBauhaus, and features mythological twinsCastor and Pollux.[30] 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.
The IOC has the final decision on the specifications of each design for all Olympic medals, including the Summer Games,Winter Games,Summer Paralympic Games andWinter Paralympic Games. There has been a greater variety of design applications for the Winter Games; unlike with the Summer Games, the IOC never mandated one particular design. The medal at the inaugural1924 Winter Olympics inChamonix, France did not even feature theOlympic 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 mottoCitius, 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), andlacquer (1998). It was not until the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing, 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 designs for the Winter Games medals are also generally larger, thicker, and heavier than those for the Summer Games.
Details about the medals from each of the Summer Olympic Games:[30][31]
| Games | Host | Details | Designer(s) | Mint | Diameter (mm) | Thickness (mm) | Weight (g) | image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | Athens,Greece | Obverse:Zeus holdingNike Reverse: TheAcropolis of Athens | Jules-Clément Chaplain | Paris Mint | 48 | 3.8 | 47 | |
| 1900 | Paris, France | Obverse: Winged goddess (possiblyNike) holding laurel branches; Paris in the background Reverse: A victorious athlete holding a laurel branch; the Acropolis in the background Note: The only Summer Olympic medal that is not circular | Frédérique Vernon | Paris Mint | 59 x 41 | 3.2 | 53 |  |
| 1904 | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | 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: Aherald opening the Games with a statue ofPehr 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 ofSilvius Brabo Edge: Name, event, team, "Antwerp", and the date | Josuë Dupon | Coosmans | 59 | 4.4 | 79 | .jpg) .jpg) |
| 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, California, U.S. | Design:Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli | Whitehead & Hoag | 55.3 | 5.7 | 96 | |
| 1936 | Berlin,Germany | Design:Trionfo | 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 (The Rome games were the first to place the medal around the athletes neck) | Giuseppe Cassioli | Artistice Fiorentini | 68 | 6.5 | 211 | .jpg)  |
| 1964 | Tokyo, Japan | Design:Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli andToshikaka Koshiba | Japan Mint | 60 | 7.5 | 62 |  |
| 1968 | Mexico City, Mexico | Design:Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli | 60 | 6 | 130 |  | |
| 1972 | Munich,West Germany | Obverse:Trionfo Reverse:Castor and Pollux, twin sons ofZeus andLeda Edge: Winner's name and sport | Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse) Gerhard Marcks (reverse) | Bavarian Mint | 66 | 6.5 | 102 |  |
| 1976 | Montreal, Quebec, 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, California, 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 ofTrionfo Reverse: Barcelona Games logo | Xavier Corbero | Royal Mint of Spain | 70 | 9.8 | 231 | |
| 1996 | Atlanta, U.S. | Obverse: Updated interpretation ofTrionfo 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 ofTrionfo Reverse: TheSydney Opera House,Olympic Flame, andOlympic rings Edge: Event name | Wojciech Pietranik | Royal Australian Mint | 68 | 5 | 180 | |
| 2004 | Athens, Greece | Obverse:Nike of Paionios withPanathenaic Stadium and theAcropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: TheOlympic Flame, the opening lines ofPindar'sEighth Olympic Ode, and the Athens Games logo | Elena Votsi | Efsimon | 60 | 5 | 135 |  |
| 2008 | Beijing, China | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens 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[32] | China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation | 70 | 6 | 200 |  |
| 2012 | London, United Kingdom | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: TheRiver Thames and the London Games logo with angled lines in the background | David Watkins | Royal Mint | 85 | 8–10 | 357–412[33] | .jpg) |
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: The Rio 2016 logo and name, surrounded by a laurel leaf design in the form of the wreaths Edge: The name of the event for which the medal was won is engraved by laser along the outside edge. Note: For the first time, the medals are slightly thicker at their central point compared with their edges.[34] | Chelles and Hayashi | Casa da Moeda do Brasil | 85 | 6–11[35] | 500[36] | .jpg) |
| 2020 | Tokyo, Japan | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: The Tokyo 2020 logo and name, surrounded by rays of sun. | Junichi Kawanishi[37] | Japan Mint[38] | 85 | 7.7–12.1 | 450–556 | _03.jpg) |
| 2024 | Paris, France | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium, the Acropolis of Athens, and theEiffel Tower in the background, surrounded by rays Reverse: Hexagonal tokens of iron taken from the original construction of the Eiffel Tower engraved with the Paris 2024 logo, surrounded by rays | Chaumet[39] | Monnaie de Paris[40] | 85 | 9.2 | 455–529 |  |
Details about the medals from each of the Winter Olympic Games:[6][41]
| Games | Host | Details | Designer(s) | Mint[17] | Diameter (mm) | Thickness (mm) | Weight (g) | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Chamonix, France | Obverse: A skier holding skates and skis and the designer's name Reverse: Written information about the Games | Raoul Bénard | Monnaire de Paris | 55 | 4 | 75 | |
| 1928 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Obverse: A skater surrounded by snowflakes Reverse: Olive branches and host details | Arnold Hunerwadel | Huguenin Frères | 50.4 | 3 | 51 | |
| 1932 | Lake Placid, U.S. | Obverse: Nike with theAdirondack 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 | Richard Klein | Deschler & Sohn | 100 | 4 | 324 | |
| 1948 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Obverse: The Olympic torch with snowflakes in the background and the Olympic mottoCitius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A snowflake and written host details | Paul Andre Droz | Huguenin Frères | 60.2 | 3.8 | 103 | |
| 1952 | Oslo, Norway | Obverse: The Olympic torch and the Olympic mottoCitius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A pictogram ofOslo City Hall with three snowflakes and written host details | Vasos Falireus andKnut Yvan | Th. Marthinsen | 70 | 3 | 137.5 | |
| 1956 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Obverse: An "ideal woman" and written host details Reverse: A large snowflake withPomagagnon in the background, the Olympic mottoCitius, Altius, Fortius, and further host details | Costanttino Affer | 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 mottoCitius, Altius, Fortius, and the name of the sport | Herff Jones | 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 | Martha Coufal (obverse) Arthur Zegler (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 | Roger Excoffon | Monnaire de Paris | 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 | Yagi Kazumi (obverse) Ikko Tanaka (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: TheAlps,Bergisel, and the Olympic flame | Martha Coufal (obverse) Arthur Zegler (reverse) | Austrian Mint | 70 | 5.4 | 164 | |
| 1980 | Lake Placid, U.S. | Obverse: The Olympic torch held in front of theAdirondack Mountains Reverse: Apine cone sprig and the Lake Placid logo | Gladys Gunzer | Medallic Art Company | 81 | 6.1 | 205 |   |
| 1984 | Sarajevo,Yugoslavia | Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it Reverse: An athlete's head wearing a laurel crown Shape: Circular but set in a large rounded rectangular shape | Nebojša Mitrić | Zlatara Majdanpek and Zavod za izradu novčanica | 71.1 x 65.1 | 3.1 | 164 |  |
| 1988 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Obverse: Event pictogram with host details surrounding it Reverse: Two people, one wearing a laurel and the other wearing aheaddress made up of winter sports equipment | Fridrich Peter | 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 | René Lalique | 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 | Ingjerd Hanevold | Th. Marthinsen | 80 | 8.5 | 131 | |
| 1998 | Nagano, Japan | Obverse: Partlylacquered, shows the Games emblem Reverse: Mainly lacquer, containing the Games emblem over theShinshu mountains | Takeshi Ito | 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 inUtah's rivers | Scott Given, Axiom Design | O.C. Tanner | 85 | 10 | 567 |    |
| 2006 | Turin, Italy | Obverse: Graphic elements of the Games Reverse: Pictogram of the specific event Edge: words "XX Olympic Winter Games" in Italian, English, and French Shape: Circular with a hole representing apiazza | Dario Quatrini | Ottaviani | 107 | 10 | 469 | |
| 2010 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Obverse: An individually cropped section of a largeFirst Nations 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 | Corrine Hunt andOmer Arbel | Royal Canadian Mint | 100 | 6 | 500–576 |    |
| 2014 | Sochi, Russian Federation | Obverse: "Patchwork quilt" design representing different regions of Russia Reverse: Name of the competition in English and the Sochi logo Edge: words "XXII Olympic Winter Games" in Russian, English, and French Shape: Circular | ADAMAS | ADAMAS[42] | 100 | 10 | 460, 525, 531 |  |
| 2018 | Pyeongchang County, South Korea | Obverse: Abstract design resembling ripples in a field of snow Reverse:Hangul messages "symbolising the effort of athletes from around the world"[43] | Lee Suk-woo | 92.5 | 586, 580, 493 |  | ||
| 2022 | Beijing, China | Obverse: The same design used in the2008 Summer Olympics as the Olympic Rings and "XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022" surrounded by traditional Chinese art of stars and clouds inside concentric circles Reverse: The same design used in the2008 Summer Olympics,a stylized depiction of theSolar System around the logo, marking the Games coinciding withChinese New Year festivities[44] | Hang Hai |
Since the beginning of the modern Olympics the athletes and their support staffs, event officials, and certain volunteers involved in planning and managing the games have received commemorative medals and diplomas. Like the winners' medals, these are changed for each Olympic Festival, with different ones issued for the summer and winter games.[45]
![Vincent Hancock with his gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the heaviest Summer Olympics medal prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics[46]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aVincent_Hancock_wins_Olympic_gold.jpg)
The presentation of the medals and awards varied significantly until the1932 Summer Olympics inLos Angeles brought in what has now become standard. Before 1932 all the medals were awarded at the closing ceremony, with the athletes wearingevening dress for the first few Games. Originally the presenting dignitary was stationary while the athletes filed past to receive their medals. The victorypodium was introduced upon the personal instruction in 1931 ofHenri de Baillet-Latour, who had seen one used at the1930 British Empire Games.[47] The winner is in the middle at a higher elevation, with the silver medallist to their right and the bronze to their left.[47] At the1932 Winter Olympics, medals were awarded in the closing ceremony, with athletes for each event in turn mounting the first-ever podium. At the 1960 Summer Olympics, competitors in theStadio Olimpico received their medals immediately after each event for the first time; competitors at other venues came to the Stadio Olimpico the next day to receive their medals.[17][47] Later Games have had a victory podium at each competition venue.
The1960 Summer Olympics inRome, 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.[30] When Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics the competitors on the podium also received an olive wreath crown. In the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, each medalist received a wooden statuette of the Olympic logo.[48]
It is customary for many medals at the Winter Olympics to be presented in a separate ceremony on the evening of or the evening after competition. At the2002 Winter Olympics inSalt Lake City, the "medals plaza" was popularized as a way for the public to see presentations that would have otherwise taken place at far-flung, low-capacity or high-altitude venues and to have an evening program that often included musical performances.[citation needed]
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