If you’ve been watching the Olympics, you’ve probably seen athletes biting their medals at the awards ceremonies. Ever wonder why they do that? Olympic historians aren’t sure which athlete started the trend or at what Olympic games it first happened. At one time, biting on gold was a way to tell if it was genuine. Leaving a toothmark meant the gold was real, as real gold is softer than gold-plated silver.
The 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm was the last time solid gold medals were awarded. Today, the gold medals are made mostly of sterling silver coated in 24-carat gold. It turns out the reason athletes chomp down on their medals is because the photographers ask them to! When the Olympians pose with their medals, hundreds of photographers are there snapping away. According to an Olympic historians, it’s an obsession with the photographers to ask them to bite their medals to get the iconic shot that could be seen around the world.
Medals weren’t always given out at the Olympics. Winner’s received olive wreaths at the Ancient Olympic games. When the modern Olympic games started in 1896, winners were given a silver medal and an olive branch, while runners up got a laurel branch and a copper or bronze medal. The customary gold, silver, and bronze medals were first given out at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.
How much are those Olympic medals worth? Of course they’re priceless for the athletes that win them. But, depending on the price of gold, silver, and iron, gold medals are worth around $950, silver comes in around $480, and bronze is only $13.
Medals aren’t the only awards given to Olympians. The top 8 athletes in an event also receive an Olympic diploma, inscribed and signed by the president of the International Olympic Committee and the head of the organizing committee for each Olympics. Some countries also reward their athletes with cash and gifts to medal winners. In this year’s Olympics, 15 countries will award their medalists over $100,000. Hong Kong is offering the most, with a prize of $768,000 for gold and $380,000 for silver. U.S. Olympians receive a bit less – our gold medalists get $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze.
Learn more here.
Mark and I are on subsequent vacations, so the Wiki Corner will return August 19!