Over 100 disgruntled athletes have returned their Olympic medals just five months after the Paris 2024 Games, citing that the medals are damaged and rusted.
It was gathered that the Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris), which was responsible for producing the medals, has dismissed three senior officials: the industrial director, the production director, and the head of quality, health, safety, and environment.
The problem appears to have been caused by the use of subpar varnish, leading to the medals deteriorating at an unusually fast rate.
American skateboarder Nyjah Houston and French swimmer Maxime Grusset, both bronze medalists at Paris 2024, had previously complained about the poor quality of their medals. Their medals cracked and started peeling off just two weeks after the event.
French Olympians Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard also shared their dissatisfaction on social media, showing the condition of their own bronze medals, which they won together in the 4×100-meter medley relay.
Houston posted a picture of his medal just 10 days after the competition, commenting: “Alright, so these Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think. I mean, look at that thing. It’s looking rough. Even the front. It’s starting to chip off a little. So yeah, I don’t know, Olympic medals, you maybe gotta step up the quality a little bit.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games took place from July 26 to August 11, while the Paralympic Games were held from August 28 to September 8.
