The organizing committee for Milan-Cortina 2026 has stated they are “diligently investigating” the reasons why Olympic medals are becoming detached, after several participants encountered problems with their awards.
Two American gold medalists, Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, reported that the ribbon separated from their medals shortly after they were presented with their prizes.
Johnson, who earned a gold medal in the women’s downhill alpine skiing competition, displayed her damaged medal during the post-event press briefing.
“Here is the medal. And here is the ribbon,” she explained to journalists. “And this small component is meant to connect to the ribbon to secure the medal, and yes, it fell apart.”
Liu shared a similar problem in a video posted on social media after she secured a gold medal as a member of the United States contingent in the figure skating team discipline.
The footage depicts Liu holding the medal and its ribbon separately, accompanied by the text: “My medal doesn’t require the ribbon.”
Breezy Johnson revealed her damaged gold medal after winning the women’s downhill [Getty Images]
The problem also affected the German team who secured bronze in the biathlon. An Instagram video depicts the medal detaching from the ribbon of one of the athletes as they bounced with joy at their team lodging.
Andrea Francisi, the chief games operations officer for Milan-Cortina 2026, confirmed that the organizers are probing the matter.
“We are completely aware of the situation,” Francisi stated. “We are specifically looking into the nature of the fault.”
“We intend to give particular attention to the medals, and clearly this is something we desire to be flawless when the medal is conferred because it represents one of the most significant moments for the athletes.”
A spokesperson for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee informed BBC Sport that they are awaiting a resolution from the organizers regarding the issue.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the athletes will be provided with replacement medals.
This marks not the first instance where the caliber of medals awarded at Olympic Games has come under scrutiny.
As of February 2025, a total of 220 requests have been submitted for medal replacements from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to signs of wear and tear—approximately 4% of all those distributed.
Diver Yasmin Harper, who clinched Team GB’s initial medal of the 2024 Games, was among the athletes who observed her medal exhibiting indications of “discoloration.”
Organizers for Paris 2024 confirmed that any compromised medals would be exchanged.
