Paris 2024 medals reveal: A look back at some of the most memorable medal designs in Olympic history
With the Paris 2024 medals unveiled to the public on Thursday 8 February, Olympics.com looks back at the history of the Olympic medals from their first appearance at the Athens 1896 Games.
Winning an Olympic medal is the fulfilment of a dream for any athlete. Yet Paris 2024’s medals - revealed to the public on Thursday 8 February - will be an unforgettable prize for those talented few who have the opportunity to acquire one.
Each medal is adorned with a hexagonal piece of iron from the most iconic symbol of France: the Eiffel Tower. And whether an athlete wins gold, silver or bronze in Paris, they will walk away with a bonafide piece of history.
The Paris 2024 medals are only the latest in a long line of groundbreaking designs that have made each Olympic Games unique.
From Tokyo 2020’s sustainable medals to the historic silver and bronze medals handed out all the way back at Athens 1896, here are some of the most memorable medals in the life of the Olympics.
Tokyo 2020: Sustainability at the heart of the medals project
While Junichi Kawanishi's designs beautifully showcased reflective patterns of light that symbolised the energy of the athletes at the Games, the materials used to create the medals for the last Olympics in Japan made them an even more ambitious undertaking.
The Tokyo 2020 Medal Project saw a total of 78,985 tons of discarded electronic devices put to new use, as 30.3kg of gold, 4,100kg of silver and 2,700kg of bronze were extracted from them and re-purposed in the creation of the medals.
The results were as stunning as they were historic.
Roger Federer (left) and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland receive their gold medals at Beijing 2008
Beijing 2008: A Chinese jewel at the centre of the medals
Thirteen years earlier at Beijing 2008, the medals were infused with an enduring symbol of People’s Republic of China: Jade.
As well as the traditional gold, silver and bronze, the emblematic rock was inlaid on the reverse side of each medal and inscribed with a dragon pattern. The design of the medals was chosen to symbolise nobility, virtue, ethics and honour.
Athens 2004: the medals return to the cradle of the Olympic Games
The 2004 Games in Athens represented the first time the Olympics had been held in Greece, the home of the Ancient Games, since 1896.
To mark the occasion, an important change in the medals was implemented for the first time since the Amsterdam Games in 1928.
Instead of the basic side of the medals depicting the goddess Nike seated and holding an ear of corn, the Athens 2004 medals showed her flying into the stadium to bring victory to the best athletes.
Florence Griffith-Joyner displays her medals from Seoul 1988
Seoul 1988: a symbol of peace and togetherness
In keeping with the spirit of the Olympic Games, the Seoul 1988 medals showed a simple yet important image that conveyed to the world a message of peace.
On the reverse side of the medals, the image of a dove holding a laurel leaf - an enduring emblem of the Games - in its beak was engraved on the metal.
Munich 1972: breaking new ground
The images on both sides of the Olympic medals had remained the same since 1928. However, the designers of the medals for the Munich Games in 1972 changed the back of the medals to include a different design by a Bauhaus representative to represent Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus and Leda.
It marked the first time the medals had undergone such a design change in 44 years.
Amsterdam 1928: a design that lasted 44 years
A competition held by the Olympic Committee in 1921 saw the birth of a medal design that would last for almost half a century.
On the obverse of the Amsterdam 1928 medals, the traditional goddess of victory is depicted holding a crown in one hand and a palm in the other. On the reverse, an Olympic champion is shown being hoisted into the air by a delighted crowd.
Athens 1896: the first Olympic medals are awarded
With the revival of the Olympics in 1896 came the creation of the very first medals, awarded to the first and second-place athletes at the Games.
Unlike today, the prize for the winners was a silver medal with a bronze/copper medal awarded to those who came second.
On one side of the medal, the figure of Zeus could be seen holding a globe with the winged victory on it. On the other side, the site of Acropolis was depicted along with the words: “ΔΙΕΘΝΕΙΣ · ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ · ΑΓΩΝΕΣ ΕΝ · ΑΘΗΝΑΙΣ · 1896." That is, the International · Olympic · Games in · Athens · 1896'.