Dutch speedskater Jutta Leerdam celebrated a gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics on Monday, February 9, only to discover her prize was a bit fragile. In a TikTok video posted shortly after her win, Leerdam lamented, „Ich habe sie kaputtgemacht“ – translating to “I broke it.” Her fiancé, Jake Paul, chimed in, heard in the background saying, “Yeah, it keeps breaking. I’ll fix it again.” The issue? Leerdam’s gold medal, like those of several other athletes, appeared prone to detaching from its ribbon.
Leerdam wasn’t alone in experiencing medal mishaps. U.S. Downhill Olympic champion Breezy Johnson, Swedish cross-country skier Ebba Andersson (silver), American figure skater Alysa Liu (gold), German biathlete Justus Strelow (bronze), and Austrian snowboarder Sabine Payer (silver) all encountered similar problems with their medals coming loose.
„Just Don’t Jump With It“
“Just don’t jump with it,” warned U.S. Skier Johnson during a press conference on Sunday, February 8. “I jumped for joy, and it came apart.” She clarified that the medal wasn’t “completely broken, but a little,” displaying the separated gold medal, ribbon, and connecting pin to reporters.
German biathlete Justus Strelow also experienced a detachment, with his bronze medal falling to the ground as he celebrated. “In that moment, the medal also broke, unfortunately,” explained teammate Philipp Nawrath, who documented the incident in an Instagram post with the caption, “Hey Olympia, what’s going on with the medals?” Alysa Liu playfully posted to Instagram, “My medal doesn’t need a ribbon,” alongside a video showcasing her own medal.
Olympic Medals Not Built for Celebration?
The medals at the Winter Olympics in Italy appear to have a design flaw. Several athletes have reported their awards separating from the ribbon.
Mystery Surrounds the Cause
Andrea Francisi from the organizing committee acknowledged the issue during a press conference, stating that they had seen the images and were investigating. “We are aware of the situation, we are looking at what the exact problem is. This is obviously a moment that is very important for all athletes.”
Officials have indicated a built-in release mechanism is intended to prevent choking hazards if the ribbon is pulled. Speculation also suggests the medals’ weight may be contributing to the problem. The medals measure 80 millimeters in diameter and 10 millimeters in thickness, weighing between 420 and 506 grams. Gold medals are primarily silver with a gold overlay, silver medals are made of pure silver, and bronze medals are made of copper.
