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An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal to be won: gold medal, silver medal, and bronze medal, awarded to first, second, and third place, respectively. The granting of is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocols.
Medal designs have varied considerably since the Games in 1896, particularly in the size of the medals for the Summer Olympic Games. The design selected for the 1928 Games remained until its replacement at the 2004 Games in Athens, where the use of the Roman Colosseum was replaced by the Greek Panathenaic Stadium, appropriate to represent Olympic values. The medals of the Winter Olympic Games never had a common design, but regularly feature snowflakes and the event where the medal has been won.
In addition to generally supporting their Olympic athletes, some countries provide sums of money and gifts to medal winners, depending on the classes and number of medals won. In the 2024 Paris Games, 33 countries confirmed that they would award prizes to medallists, with 15 awarding cash prizes over $100,000.
When the modern Olympic Games began in 1896 medals started to be given to successful olympian competitors. However, were not awarded at the inaugural Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The winners were instead given a silver medal and an olive branch, whilst runners-up received a Laurus nobilis branch and a copper or bronze medal. "After this followed the distribution of the second prizes. The King presented each winner a bronze medal and a laurel branch". (English version) But: "Darauf treten die zweiten Sieger einzeln heran und empfangen aus den Händen des Königs einen Lorbeerzweig und eine kupferne Medaille" (German version) Pierre de Coubertin and others, The Olympic Games In 1 8 9 6, , Athens, London, Leipzig 1897, p.114 and p. 115. In: The Olympic Games B.C. 776. — A. D. 1896. Part II The 1900 Summer Olympics is unique in being the only Olympic Games to feature rectangular medals, which were designed by . silver-gilt medals were awarded for 1st place in shooting, lifesaving, automobile racing and gymnastics. Second place silver medals were awarded in shooting, rowing, yachting, tennis, gymnastics, sabre, fencing, equestrian and athletics. Third place bronze medals were awarded in gymnastics, firefighting and shooting. In many sports, however, medals were not awarded. With most of the listed prizes being cups and other trophies.
The custom of the sequence of gold, silver, and bronze for the first three places in all events dates from the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze medals to the three best-placed athletes in each event of the 1896 and 1900 Games. If there is a tie for any of the top three places all competitors are entitled to receive the appropriate medal according to IOC rules. Report 268. International Olympic Committee. 31 January 2002. Retrieved 16 May 2021. Some combat sports (such as boxing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling) award two bronze medals per competition, resulting in, overall, more bronze medals being awarded than the other colours.
Medals are not the only awards given to competitors; every athlete placed first to eighth receives an Olympic diploma. Also, at the main host stadium, the names of all medal winners are written onto a wall. Finally, as noted below, all athletes receive a participation medal and diploma.
The first Olympic medals in 1896 were designed by French sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain and depicted Zeus holding Nike, the Greek mythology of victory, on the obverse and the Acropolis on the reverse. They were made by the Paris Mint, which also made the medals for the 1900 Olympic Games, hosted by Paris. This started the tradition of giving the responsibility of minting the medals to the host city. For the next few Olympiads, the host city also chose the medal design. Until 1912 the gold medals were made of solid gold.
The reverse features a crowd of people carrying a triumphant athlete. His winning design was first presented at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The medals for the 1960 Games in Rome inverted the design, with the obverse featuring the crowd and the reverse featuring Nike. The competition saw this design used for 40 years until the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich became the first Games with a different design for the reverse side of the medal.
Cassioli's design continued to inspire the obverse of the medal for many more years, though recreated each time, with the Olympic host and numeral updated. The obverse remained true to the Trionfo design until the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where the IOC allowed an updated version to be created. For the next few events , they mandated the use of the Nike motif but allowed other aspects to change.
The trend ended after 2000, due to the negative reaction to the medal design for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The designer of the 2000 medal (Wojciech Pietranik) had originally featured the Sydney Opera House on the obverse instead of the traditional Rome Colosseum but the International Olympic Committee decided that the Colosseum should remain. The fine art of victory, . Powerhouse Museum. Accessed 11 September 2011. The Greece press criticised the design for ignorance of the birthplace of the Olympic Games, pointing out that the long-standing feature on the front of medals was mistakenly depicting the Roman Colosseum rather than the Greek Parthenon. Greek anger at Olympic medal design, The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 August 2011. The Sydney Organising Committee decided to continue with the design as it was, noting that there was insufficient time to complete another version and that it would be too costly. After 76 years a new style by designer Elena Votsi depicting the Panathenaic Stadium was introduced at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Athens' New Olympic Medal Design Win IOC's Nod, People Daily. Retrieved 5 August 2011. This new obverse design remains in use.
For three events in a row, hosts of the Winter Games included different materials in the medals: glass (1992), sparagmite (1994), and lacquer (1998). It was not until the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China that a Summer Olympic host chose to use something different, in this case, jade. While every Summer Olympic medal except for the 1900 Games has been circular, the shapes of the Winter Games have been considerably more varied. The designs for the Winter Games medals are also generally larger, thicker, and heavier than those for the Summer Games.
| 1896 | Athens, Greece | Obverse: Zeus holding Nike Reverse: The Acropolis of Athens | Paris Mint | 48 | 3.8 | 47 | ||
| 1900 | Paris, France | Obverse: Winged goddess (possibly Nike) holding laurel branches; Paris in the background Reverse: A victorious athlete holding a laurel branch; the Acropolis in the background Note: The only Summer Olympic medal that is not circular | Paris Mint | 59 x 41 | 3.2 | 53 | ||
| 1904 | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | Obverse: Nike holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf Reverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown; Greek temple in the background | Dieges & Clust | Dieges & Clust | 37.8 | 3.5 | 21 | |
| 1908 | London, Great Britain | Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures Reverse: Saint George atop a horse Edge: "Vaughton", event name and winner | Vaughton & Sons | 33 | 4.4 | 21 | ||
| 1912 | Stockholm, Sweden | Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures Reverse: A herald opening the Games with a statue of Pehr Henrik Ling behind him | (obverse) Erik Lindberg (reverse) | C.C. Sporrong & Co | 33.4 | 1.5 | 24 | |
| 1920 | Antwerp, Belgium | Obverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf Reverse: Statue of Silvius Brabo Edge: Name, event, team, "Antwerp", and the date | Coosmans | 59 | 4.4 | 79 | ||
| 1924 | Paris, France | Obverse: An athlete helping another to stand Reverse: A harp and various items of sports equipment | Paris Mint | 55 | 4.8 | 79 | ||
| 1928 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Design: Trionfo Note: This obverse design, sometimes recreated, remains until 2004, the reverse design remained until 1972 | Dutch State Mint | 55 | 3 | 66 | ||
| 1932 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Design: Trionfo | Whitehead & Hoag | 55.3 | 5.7 | 96 | ||
| 1936 | Berlin, Nazi Germany | Design: Trionfo | B.H. Mayer | 55 | 5 | 71 | ||
| 1948 | London, Great Britain | Design: Trionfo | John Pinches | 51.4 | 5.1 | 60 | ||
| 1952 | Helsinki, Finland | Design: Trionfo Edge: 916 M / Y6 (Factory Stamp) | Kultakeskus Oy | 51 | 4.8 | 46.5 | ||
| 1956 | Melbourne, Australia | Design: Trionfo | Kenneth Luke | 51 | 4.8 | 68 | ||
| 1960 | Rome, Italy | Design: Trionfo Surround: A bronze laurel wreath and laurel leaf chain (The Rome games were the first to place the medal around the athletes neck) | Artistice Fiorentini | 68 | 6.5 | 211 | ||
| 1964 | Tokyo, Japan | Design: Trionfo | and | Japan Mint | 60 | 7.5 | 62 | |
| 1968 | Mexico City, Mexico | Design: Trionfo | 60 | 6 | 130 | |||
| 1972 | Munich, West Germany | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus and Leda Edge: Winner's name and sport | (obverse) (reverse) | Bavarian Mint | 66 | 6.5 | 102 | |
| 1976 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: A stylised laurel crown and the Montreal Games logo Edge: Name of the sport | (obverse) | Royal Canadian Mint | 60 | 5.8 | 154 | |
| 1980 | Moscow, Russia | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: A stylised Olympic flame and the Moscow Games logo | (obverse) (reverse) | Moscow Mint | 60 | 6.8 | 125 | |
| 1984 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: An Olympic champion held aloft by a crowd Note: The reverse returns to the Cassioli design | Jostens, Inc | 60 | 7.9 | 141 | ||
| 1988 | Seoul, South Korea | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: An outline of a dove carrying a laurel branch and the Seoul Olympic logo | (obverse) | Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation | 60 | 7 | 152 | |
| 1992 | Barcelona, Spain | Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: Barcelona Games logo | Royal Mint of Spain | 70 | 9.8 | 231 | ||
| 1996 | Atlanta, U.S. | Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: A stylised olive branch, the Atlanta Games logo, and "Centennial Olympic Games" Edge: "Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games" | Malcolm Grear Designers | Reed & Barton | 70 | 5 | 181 | |
| 2000 | Sydney, Australia | Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: The Sydney Opera House, Olympic Flame, and Olympic rings Edge: Event name | Royal Australian Mint | 68 | 5 | 180 | ||
| 2004 | Athens, Greece | Obverse: Nike of Paionios with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: The Olympic Flame, the opening lines of Pindar's Eighth Olympic Ode, and the Athens Games logo | Efsimon | 60 | 5 | 135 | ||
| 2008 | Beijing, China | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: A jade ring with the Beijing Games logo in the centre and the event details on the outer edge | Xiao Yong . icograda. Retrieved 11 September 2011. | China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation | 70 | 6 | 200 | |
| 2012 | London, United Kingdom | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: The River Thames and the London Games logo with angled lines in the background | Royal Mint | 85 | 8–10 | 357–412 The Making of the London 2012 Victory Medals . Royal Mint. Retrieved 12 August 2016. | ||
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: The Rio 2016 logo and name, surrounded by a laurel leaf design in the form of the wreaths Edge: The name of the event for which the medal was won is engraved by laser along the outside edge. Note: For the first time, the medals are slightly thicker at their central point compared with their edges. Rio 2016 reveals Olympic medals, celebrating nature and sustainability . Rio 2016. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016. | Chelles and Hayashi | Casa da Moeda do Brasil | 85 | 6–11 Medalhas Olímpicas e Paralímpicas são as mais sustentáveis da história dos Jogos. Casa da Moeda do Brasil. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016. | 500 Innovative Medal Design Unveiled for Rio 2016. International Olympic Committee. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016. | |
| 2020 | Tokyo, Japan | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background Reverse: The Tokyo 2020 logo and name, surrounded by rays of sun. | Junichi Kawanishi Tokyo 2020 Olympic Medal Design . Tokyo 2020. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2021. | Japan Mint Behind the Making of the Tokyo 2020 Medals. nippon.com 20 August 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2021. | 85 | 7.7–12.1 | 450–556 | |
| 2024 | Paris, France | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium, the Acropolis of Athens, and the Eiffel Tower in the background, surrounded by rays Reverse: Hexagonal tokens of iron taken from the original construction of the Eiffel Tower engraved with the Paris 2024 logo, surrounded by rays | Chaumet Paris 2024 Olympic Medal Design | Monnaie de Paris | 85 | 9.2 | 455–529 |
| 1924 | Chamonix, France | Obverse: A skier holding skates and skis and the designer's name Reverse: Written information about the Games | Monnaire de Paris | 55 | 4 | 75 | ||
| 1928 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Obverse: A skater surrounded by snowflakes Reverse: Olive branches and host details | Huguenin Frères | 50.4 | 3 | 51 | ||
| 1932 | Lake Placid, U.S. | Obverse: Nike with the Adirondack Mountains in the background Reverse: Laurel leaves and written host details Shape: Circular but not with a straight edge | Robbins Company | 55 | 3 | 51 | ||
| 1936 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany | Obverse: Nike atop a horse-drawn chariot traversing an arch over winter sporting equipment Reverse: Large Olympic rings | Deschler & Sohn | 100 | 4 | 324 | ||
| 1948 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Obverse: The Olympic torch with snowflakes in the background and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A snowflake and written host details | Huguenin Frères | 60.2 | 3.8 | 103 | ||
| 1952 | Oslo, Norway | Obverse: The Olympic torch and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A pictogram of Oslo City Hall with three snowflakes and written host details | and | Th. Marthinsen | 70 | 3 | 137.5 | |
| 1956 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Obverse: An "ideal woman" and written host details Reverse: A large snowflake with Pomagagnon in the background, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and further host details | Lorioli Bros. | 60.2 | 3 | 120.5 | ||
| 1960 | Squaw Valley, U.S. | Obverse: The head of a male and female with host details written around them Reverse: Large Olympic rings, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and the name of the sport | Herff Jones Company | 55.3 | 4.3 | 95 | ||
| 1964 | Innsbruck, Austria | Obverse: Torlauf Mountains, "Innsbruck 1964", and "Torlauf" Reverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them | (obverse) (reverse) | Austrian Mint | 72 | 4 | 110 | |
| 1968 | Grenoble, France | Obverse: Three snowflakes and the red rose emblem of Grenoble surrounded by host details Reverse: A stylised image of each sport | Monnaire de Paris | 61 | 3.3 | 124 | ||
| 1972 | Sapporo, Japan | Obverse: Pictogram of lines in the snow Reverse: A snowflake, the Sun, and the Olympic rings Shape: Square with rounded, wavy lines | (obverse) (reverse) | Mint Bureau of the Finance Ministry | 57.3 x 61.3 | 5 | 130 | |
| 1976 | Innsbruck, Austria | Obverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them Reverse: The Alps, Bergisel, and the Olympic flame | (obverse) (reverse) | Austrian Mint | 70 | 5.4 | 164 | |
| 1980 | Lake Placid, U.S. | Obverse: The Olympic torch held in front of the Adirondack Mountains Reverse: A pine cone sprig and the Lake Placid logo | Gladys Gunzer | Medallic Art Company | 81 | 6.1 | 205 | |
| 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it Reverse: An athlete's head wearing a laurel crown Shape: Circular but set in a large rounded rectangular shape | Zlatara Majdanpek and Zavod za izradu novčanica | 71.1 x 65.1 | 3.1 | 164 | ||
| 1988 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Obverse: Event pictogram with host details surrounding it Reverse: Two people, one wearing a laurel and the other wearing a War bonnet made up of winter sports equipment | Jostens | 69 | 5 | 193 | ||
| 1992 | Albertville, France | Obverse: Glass set into the metal, showing the Olympic rings in front of mountains Reverse: Rear side of glass section | René Lalique | 92 | 9.1 | 169 | ||
| 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | Sparagmite partially covered in gold, one side showing the Olympic rings and host details, the other depicting the sport in which the medal was won and the Games emblem | Th. Marthinsen | 80 | 8.5 | 131 | ||
| 1998 | Nagano, Japan | Obverse: Partly , shows the Games emblem Reverse: Mainly lacquer, containing the Games emblem over the Shinshu mountains | Kiso Kurashi Craft Center | 80 | 8 | 261 | ||
| 2002 | Salt Lake City, U.S. | Obverse: An athlete carrying the Olympic torch steps out of flames Reverse: Nike holding a victory leaf surrounded by event details Shape: Irregular circle, like the rocks in Utah's rivers | , Axiom Design | O.C. Tanner | 85 | 10 | 567 | |
| 2006 | Turin, Italy | Obverse: Graphic elements of the Games Reverse: Pictogram of the specific event Edge: words "XX Olympic Winter Games" in Italian, English, and French Shape: Circular with a hole representing a piazza | Ottaviani | 107 | 10 | 469 | ||
| 2010 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Obverse: An individually cropped section of a large First Nations artwork (orca or raven), making each medal unique Reverse: Emblem of the Games and event details Shape: Circular but with undulations stopping it from being flat | and | Royal Canadian Mint | 100 | 6 | 500–576 | |
| 2014 | Sochi, Russian Federation | Obverse: "Patchwork quilt" design representing different regions of Russia Reverse: Name of the competition in English and the Sochi logo Edge: words "XXII Olympic Winter Games" in Russian, English, and French Shape: Circular | ADAMAS | ADAMAS | 100 | 10 | 460, 525, 531 | |
| 2018 | Pyeongchang County, South Korea | Obverse: Abstract design resembling ripples in a field of snow Reverse: Hangul messages "symbolising the effort of athletes from around the world" Edge: words "Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018" in Korean (stylized) and English | Lee Suk-woo | 92.5 | 586, 580, 493 | |||
| 2022 | Beijing, China | Obverse: The same design used in the 2008 Summer Olympics as the Olympic Rings and "XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022" surrounded by traditional Chinese art of stars and clouds inside concentric circles Reverse: The same design used in the 2008 Summer Olympics,a stylized depiction of the Solar System around the logo, marking the Games coinciding with Chinese New Year festivities | Hang Hai | |||||
==Gallery==
The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy were the first in which the medals were placed around the neck of the athletes. The medals hung from a chain of laurel leaves, while they are now hung from a coloured ribbon. When Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics the competitors on the podium also received an olive wreath crown. In the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, each medalist received a wooden statuette of the Olympic logo.
It is customary for many medals at the Winter Olympics to be presented in a separate ceremony on the evening of or the evening after competition. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the "medals plaza" was popularized as a way for the public to see presentations that would have otherwise taken place at far-flung, low-capacity or high-altitude venues and to have an evening program that often included musical performances.
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