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Medals break minutes after podium at Winter Olympics
Milan-Cortina 2026 officials have launched an urgent review after multiple gold and bronze medals detached from their ribbons within hours of being awarded.
What went wrong
American downhill skier Breezy Johnson displayed her damaged medal during a press conference. The small connector that secures the disc to the ribbon had snapped off, leaving the ribbon and medal separate.
"So there's the medal. And there's the ribbon. And here's the little piece that is supposed to go into the ribbon to hold the medal, and yeah, it came apart."
Breezy Johnson, Olympic gold medallist
Fellow U.S. gold medallist Alysa Liu posted a video on social media holding the medal in one hand and the ribbon in the other, captioned "My medal don't need the ribbon."
The German biathlon bronze squad also reported the same issue. A clip on Instagram shows a medal slipping off its ribbon while athletes celebrate at their team hotel.
Organizers respond
Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for Milan-Cortina 2026, told reporters the committee is treating the matter with "maximum attention."
"We are fully aware of the situation. We are looking into exactly what the problem is. We are going to pay maximum attention to the medals, and obviously this is something we want to be perfect when the medal is handed over because this is one of the most important moments for the athletes."
Andrea Francisi, Milan-Cortina 2026
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said it is awaiting a resolution from the organizers. No decision has been made on whether replacement medals will be issued.
Not the first Olympic medal mishap
At the Paris 2024 Summer Games, 220 athletes-approximately 4% of all medallists-requested replacements due to tarnishing or other damage. Team GB diver Yasmin Harper, who won Britain's first medal in Paris, was among those whose medals showed early signs of wear.
Paris 2024 organizers confirmed that any damaged medals would be replaced.
Key details
- Event: Winter Olympics Milan-Cortina 2026 (6-22 February)
- Location: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
- Coverage: Live streams, highlights, and text updates available on BBC platforms (UK only)
