The celebration turned slightly chaotic for American alpine skier Breezy Johnson after her Olympic downhill victory, as her gold medal detached from its ribbon, The Wall Street Journal reports. “I don’t realize if the Italians are known for their engineering,” Johnson quipped, referencing the unexpected mishap.
Johnson wasn’t alone in experiencing the issue, as other athletes also saw their medals arrive loose from their ribbons. Following the American team’s win in the team figure skating competition on Sunday, team member Alysa Liu posted a video to her Instagram account holding her medal in one hand and the ribbon in the other. “My medal doesn’t need a ribbon,” she wrote.
The issues weren’t limited to gold medals. The German biathlon team shared a video of their celebratory dance after winning bronze, only to have Justus Strelow’s medal fall from its ribbon. “Hey Olympics, what’s going on with these medals?” the team posted with the video.
Sweden’s cross-country skier Ebba Andersson also experienced a similar problem with her silver medal, as did Bulgarian snowboarder Tervel Zafirov with his bronze.
Organizers are now investigating the cause of the issue and working to prevent further incidents. Chief Operating Officer Andrea Francesi stated that the team is addressing the problem “with maximum attention.”
“Of course, this is something we want to be perfect in, because the awarding of the medal is one of the most key moments for the athletes,” Francesi added.
The medals for this year’s Olympic Games were produced by IPZS, the state polygraphic and mint institute. The medals measure approximately 7.5 centimeters in diameter and are just under one centimeter thick. The gold medal weighs around 450 grams.
IPZS has declined to comment on the situation. The medals were made from recycled materials, specifically from the company’s own manufacturing waste. This isn’t the first time the Olympics have faced issues with damaged medals; over 200 medals were replaced after the Summer Games in Paris two years ago due to visible damage.
