Olympics: Over 100 athletes return medals - poor quality

t-online Olympics: Over 100 athletes return medals - poor quality 1 hour • 2 minutes reading time The Olympic medals from Paris: The quality of the precious metal is disappointing. Winning an Olympic medal is the greatest success for many athletes. It's just a shame when the precious metal crumbles. Just five months after the Olympic Games in Paris, more than 100 athletes have already returned their medals. The reason: damage such as chipping, rust and discoloration. Bronze medals, which are made of an alloy of copper, zinc and tin, are particularly affected. Experts suspect that the mixture used promotes rapid oxidation, reports the "Daily Mail". The quality of the medals was already being questioned during the 2024 Games. US skateboarder Nyjah Huston was one of the first to publicly criticize the poor workmanship. Shortly after his competition, he shared pictures of his bronze award and explained: "These Olympic medals look good when new, but as soon as you wear them and sweat, they show their weaknesses. Even the front peels off." Skater Nyjah Huston: He won bronze in street skateboarding. Other athletes also had similar experiences. British diver Yasmin Harper reported that her bronze medal showed discoloration after just one week, possibly due to moisture. French Olympians such as Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard posted pictures of their medals, which they described as "crocodile skin". Both had won the bronze award in the 4x100-meter medley relay. Replacement promised According to the French newspaper "La Lettre", the poor quality of the medals has now led to personnel changes at the manufacturer Monnaie de Paris. Production problems are reportedly caused by a lack of a test phase and the ban on certain materials. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has now reacted. "Damaged medals will be systematically replaced and engraved in an identical manner," a spokesperson explained. The exchange process will begin in the next few weeks in collaboration with Monnaie de Paris and the respective National Olympic Committees. The medals from Paris, designed by luxury jeweler Chaumet, contain a piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower - a symbolic element that is now overshadowed by the material problems. It remains to be seen whether the exchange can restore the athletes' confidence.