Why Winter Olympic medals broke and what the failure revealed

image via New Scientist

February 21, 2026, 1:00 PM

• •The Milan Cortina medals featured an internal cavity design for the ribbon, instead of a traditional metal loop.
• •Multiple athletes experienced medal breakage due to the ribbon attachment failing.
• •Metallurgical analysis suggests the failure may be due to an undersized part or weak joints.
• •The use of recycled materials and cold temperatures were likely not the cause of the issue.

The 2026 Winter Olympics medals, designed by Italy's state mint, were intended to be durable and sustainable, but a design flaw caused the ribbon attachments to break. This was revealed when multiple athletes experienced their medals detaching during celebrations, leading to public scrutiny. The issue was traced to the internal cavity design and the breakaway safety clasp, with potential causes including undersized parts or weaknesses in the joints. The organizing committee launched an investigation and announced a fix.

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