By Keith Weir
MILAN, Feb 10 (Reuters) – A fix has been found to stop Milano Cortina Olympic medals from coming apart, and athletes will be able to return any damaged ones for repair, local organisers said on Tuesday.
The problems with the cherished medals have been one of the talking points of the opening days of competition at a Games that have otherwise run smoothly.
Local organisers investigated the medals mishaps with the Italian State Mint, which is responsible for producing them.
“A solution was identified and a targeted intervention was implemented,” Milano Cortina 2026 Communications Director Luca Casassa said, adding that only a limited number of medals had suffered defects.
Athletes whose medals were affected could return them “so that they can be promptly repaired,” he added.
“Milano Cortina 2026 confirms its commitment to ensuring that the medals, which symbolise the highest achievement in every athlete’s career, meet the highest standards of quality and attention to detail.”
PROBLEM WITH THE CLASP
Organisers did not specify what the problem was. However, a source close to the situation had suggested on Monday that the issue may stem from the medal’s clasp and ribbon, which is fitted with a breakaway mechanism required by law to avoid the risk of strangulation or other injury.
That tallied with the experience of U.S. Alpine skier Jacqueline Wiles, who who won a bronze in the women’s team combined on Tuesday and became the latest competitor to suffer a medal mishap.
Wiles said some boisterous celebrations were to blame.
“Some arms were swinging and I was jumping. And it got out of hand a little quickly. But that’s OK. They fixed it already,” she said.
A spokesperson for her team said the problem was with the clasp on her medal and she had been given a replacement.
Local organisers were very pleased with operations at the Games, spread over a wide area of northern Italy from Milan to a series of venues in the Alps.
“What we have found in these first four days is really encouraging, the stadiums and the competitions are often sold out, fan zones are full of people who are in a party mood and want to enjoy the Games’ atmosphere,” Casassa said.
“The feedback that we are getting from the real protagonists, the athletes, at the moment is extremely positive,” he added.
(Additional reporting by Alan Baldwin in Cortina d’AmpezzoWriting by Keith Weir; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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