People are just finding out truth about Olympic gold medal after athlete gives close look
People are only just discovering the truth about how Olympic gold medals are made.
There has been a fair bit of controversy surrounding the Olympic medals this year after Team USA skateboarder Nyjah Huston shared the shocking condition of his bronze award just a week after winning it.
Huston - who finished in third place in the men’s street final - took to Instagram to reveal what the state of his bronze medal was like on Thursday (8 August).
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With the medal looking all scratched and chipped, Huston said the seemed like 'it went to war and back'.
"Alright, so these Olympic medals look great when they're brand-new," he said.
"But after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and letting my friends wear it over the weekend.
"They're apparently not as high quality as you'd think."
While Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, who overtook Simone Biles for gold in the floor gymnastics final, has also said it's 'sad' that she can't wear the medals.
She said: "They [the medals] are knocking against each other and are scratching.
"I'm getting sad. And I don't want to be sad. So I'm not going to wear them around my neck anymore.
"I'm going to walk around with two in my hands and two in my pocket."
And after Danish badminton player Viktor Axelsen shared a close-up video of his gold medal on social media, many people have been left wondering why the medals aren't holding the test of time.
What are Olympic medals made out of?
Despite the name, Olympic gold medals are not solid gold - they are primarily made of silver.
According to regulations imposed by the International Olympic Committee, gold medals are required to be at least 92.5 percent silver, and are coated with approximately six grams of pure gold.
The last time pure gold medals were awarded was at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.
Who makes the Olympic medals?
The medals for the Games were designed by Paris jewellery house Chaumetand and were made by the Paris Mint.
A spokesperson for the Paris Games has since vowed to replace any 'damaged' medals.
"Paris 2024 is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution tasked with the production and quality control of the medals, and together with the National Olympic Committee of the athlete concerned, in order to appraise the medal to understand the circumstances and cause of the damage," a spokesperson told Mail Sport.
"The medals are the most coveted objects of the Games and the most precious for the athletes," they added. "Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved in an identical way to the originals."
LADbible has contacted the Paris 2024 press office for comment.
Anish Vij