“Crocodile skin,” Clement Seci wrote alongside a photo of the bronze medal. “Paris 1924,” Yohan Ndoé Broard captioned the picture, along with two laughing emojis.
Seii and Broward, two French swimmers, won medals from the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 4×100 medley relay. Two weeks ago, the two Frenchmen laughed at the Eiffel Tower Olympic medal on social media, the low quality of the medal. They complain that less than six months have passed since the end of the Olympic Games, and the shine of the medal has already been lost. Dark spots appear on the color.
Not only two French swimmers, but medalists from many other countries have complained about the medals at the Paris Olympics that ended last August. Which has already crossed 100, according to a French media.
India’s medal winners have raised the latest questions about medals at the Paris Olympics. Wrestling and shooting bronze medallists Manu Vekar (2) and Aman Sehrawat complained that their medals are losing colour.
“The IOC and the French authorities are responsible for these defective medals,” a medallist told IANS on condition of anonymity. If India had done this, the whole world would have criticised. These things should not be taken lightly. I urge the Indian government to take this seriously. ’
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha said, “An Olympic medal is an achievement of a lifetime for an athlete. If an athlete deems his medal to be defective or of low quality, we will ask the IOC to replace it. ’
US skateboarder Nijah Huston had also questioned the Paris Olympics medal before athletes from India and France. According to French newspaper La Letter, more than 100 defective medals were returned to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee in the first four months of the Games.
AFP contacted the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to know about the matter. The French news agency was told that if the defective medal was returned, an identical version would be provided. Which will start giving in the next few weeks.
In part, the medal was designed by the world-famous French jewelry house Shomme using the old iron ore of the Eiffel Tower. The French government mint authority Monae de Paris was in charge of preparing and controlling the quality. When contacted by AFP, a spokesman for the organization described the medals as “damaged” rather than “defective”, adding: “Since August we have been replacing the damaged medals.” If someone says it in front of you, it will be done. ’
Monae de Paris won a total of 5,084 medals, including gold, silver and bronze, for the Paris Olympics.
