Official announcements from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or major sports news outlets

IOC to Replace Over 100 Defective Paris 2024 Olympic Medals, Including Bronze, After Monnaie de Paris Dismissals

Jan 14, 2025, 01:41 PM

Over 100 athletes from the Paris 2024 Olympics have returned their medals due to rapid deterioration, particularly affecting bronze medals. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has promised to replace all defective medals. The issue has led to the dismissal of three directors at the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for manufacturing the medals. Athletes have publicly expressed their disappointment with the medals' quality, with some describing the bronze medals as looking like 'crocodile skin' or as if they had 'been through a war.' The medals, which were designed by Chaumet, a part of the LVMH Group, each contain an 18-gram piece of the Eiffel Tower. A total of 5,084 medals were produced for the Games, and the rapid deterioration has been attributed to the use of a new varnish.