Paris Olympic medals will be replaced after several athletes complained of denigration
A few Olympians will receive new medals after complaining that their Paris 2024 Summer Games hardware had already begun to tarnish, according to the French mint that produced the medals.
Monnaie de Paris, which produced 5084 medals for Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, told The Associated Press that it would replace the medals after several athletes complained that they had already begun to deteriorate as early as August.
Three Olympic gold medals from the Paris 2024 Games on display. (Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“The Monnaie de Paris has taken the problem of damaged medals very seriously since the first exchange requests in August and has mobilized its internal teams,” the French mint said.
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“Since then, the company has modified and optimized its relative varnishing process. Monnaie de Paris will replace all damaged medals at the request of athletes during the first quarter of 2025.”
According to the AP, the French mint declined to comment on the exact number of medals it will replace, but French media reported the number to be more than 100.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was working with the French mint to ensure the medals were made “in an identical manner to the originals”.
Bronze medalist Nyjah Huston holds his medal after the victory ceremony for the men’s street skateboarding competition during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on July 29, 2024. (ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
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“The Organizing Committee of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for the production and quality control of the medals, to assess any problems with the medals in order to understand the circumstances and cause of the damage,” the IOC said in a statement to Front Office Sports.
“Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved in an identical manner to the originals.”
American skateboarder Nyjah Huston was among the athletes who complained about the denigration of medals. After winning bronze in the men’s street competition, Huston took to social media just days later to reveal his medal had been damaged.
Silver medalist Jagger Eaton, left, and bronze medalist Nyjah Huston pose with their medals after the victory ceremony for the men’s street skateboarding competition during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on July 29, 2024. (KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Okay, so these Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new,” Huston said in a video posted to Instagram.
“But after letting it sit on my skin for a while with some sweat, and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re clearly not as high quality as you’d think.”
French swimmers Yohann Ndoye-Brouard and Clément Secchi also recently complained about their medals being ripped off.
The medals are made to incorporate polished pieces of iron taken from the Eiffel Tower that were salvaged from renovations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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