Organizers of the 2026 Winter Olympics are closely monitoring reports that Olympic medals are breaking. The authorities are on alert following concerns raised by multiple athletes. The Winter Olympics this year, organized by Italy, started on 6 February. The Games will conclude on 22 February.
Two US gold medalists, Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, said the ribbon had detached soon after the ceremonies. Johnson, who won the women’s downhill alpine skiing title, displayed the separated medal at a press conference.
“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 yes, it came apart,” she told reporters.
Liu reported a similar problem in a social media video after her victory in the figure-skating team event. She held the medal and ribbon in different hands.
“My medal doesn’t need the ribbon (sic),” said the caption.
The incidents have prompted scrutiny of medal design and durability. Organizers are now reviewing the manufacturing quality to prevent further failures during the Winter Games 2026.
The problem also affected Germany’s bronze-medal biathlon team. Viral Instagram videos show a medal dropping from its ribbon during celebrations at the team hotel.
Ebba Andersson earlier said her medal “fell in the snow and broke in two”.
“Now I hope the organizers have a ‘plan B’ for broken medals,” The Guardian quoted the Sweden cross‑country skier as saying.
According to Milano-Cortina 2026 chief operations officer Andrea Francisi, organizers are fully aware of the situation. They are investigating the exact cause. He stressed that medals must be perfect because the award ceremony represents one of the most important moments in an athlete’s career.
“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,” the BBC quoted Francisi as saying.
A spokesperson for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said they were waiting for organizers to resolve the matter. There is no confirmation yet on the possibility of replacing the medals.
Past concerns about Olympic medals
Concerns about medal durability are not new. By February 2025, around 220 requests to replace medals from the Paris 2024 Olympics had been made due to visible damage.
British diver Yasmin Harper, who won Team GB’s first medal in Paris, reported noticeable tarnishing on hers. Paris organizers later confirmed that any damaged medals would be replaced.
