Winter Olympic athletes competing at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games are being cautioned to temper their celebrations after a series of medal breakages has emerged. At least four medals have failed to withstand the jubilant reactions of their recipients, leading to calls for greater durability and official investigations.
A Warning from a Gold Medallist
American downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson issued a stark warning to her fellow competitors after her gold medal detached from its ribbon during her celebrations. ‘Don’t jump in them,’ she advised, specifically directing her comment towards silver medallist Emma Aicher. Johnson displayed the separated components—medal, ribbon, and pin—at a press conference, noting, ‘I was jumping in excitement, and it broke. It came apart. I’m sure somebody will fix it. It’s not crazy broken, but it’s a little broken.’
Multiple Incidents Across Disciplines
Johnson is not alone in experiencing this issue. Several other athletes have encountered similar problems:
- US figure skater Alysa Liu shared an Instagram video showing her team event gold medal detached from its ribbon, captioning it, ‘My medal don’t need the ribbon.’
- German biathlete Justus Strelow saw his bronze medal snap from the ribbon during mixed relay celebrations, causing it to fall to the floor as he scrambled to reattach it. The German biathlon team posted on Instagram, questioning, ‘Hey Olympics, what’s up with those medals? Are they not meant to be celebrated?’
- Swedish cross-country skier Ebba Andersson’s silver medal came apart as she ran with gold medallist Frida Karlsson. She explained, ‘That did not go completely according to plan. It’s in two pieces... I don’t know if the medal is made to hang around your neck when you’re running across half of the home straight, and also doing it at the speed of Frida Karlsson. I was a bit stupid trying to follow her.’
Official Response and Concerns
The organising committee has acknowledged the situation, with Andrea Francisi, chief operations officer, stating, ‘We are aware of the situation, we have seen the images. Obviously, we are trying to understand in detail if there is a problem. But obviously we are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal is the dream of the athletes, so we want that obviously in the moment they are given it that everything is absolutely perfect because we really consider it to be the most important moment. So we are working on it.’ This response highlights the significance of the medals as symbols of achievement and the need for immediate resolution.
The incidents have sparked discussions about the design and materials used for the medals, with athletes and fans alike expressing concern over their fragility during moments of high emotion. As the Games continue, all eyes will be on whether further breakages occur and how organisers address this unexpected challenge.
