American skateboarder Nyjah Huston left Paris with a highly coveted Olympic medal.
Although the closing ceremony for the Paris Olympics took place on Sunday, a recent photo from Huston showed the surprising condition of the prized medal.
“All right, so these Olympic medals look great when they are brand new,” Huston began in a video posted to Instagram before showing some of the medal’s wear and tear. “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 are apparently not as high quality as you would think.”
Huston also showed another side of the medal, revealing the lack of shine remaining on the bronze coating.
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“It’s looking rough. Even the front is starting to chip off a little,” he said. “Olympic medals, you gotta maybe step up the quality a little bit.”
Huston earned the medal several days ago following his third place finish in the men’s street event in Paris. Other medalists have spoken out about the overall quality of the medals that were awarded to third place finishers at this year’s Summer Games.
Yasmin Harper, who represented Great Britain at the Paris Olympics, also suggested that her bronze medal had some noticeable discoloration. Harper took the bronze following her performance in the women’s 3-meter synchronized springboard diving event on July 27.
“There’s been some small bits of tarnishing,” Harper said, per the BBC. “I think it’s water or anything that gets under medal, it’s making it go a little bit discolored, but I’m not sure.”
The Paris Mint responded to the criticism by promising to “systematically replace” any Olympic medal that deteriorated. Meanwhile, Olympics organizers said they will conduct a study of any medal that they learn is damaged. Upon review, a medal will be re-engraved if it is deemed necessary.
The organizing committee also said it had “taken note of the testimony on social networks of an athlete whose medal was damaged a few days after it was presented,” per a statement sent to Agence France-Presse.
The International Olympic Committee also told the French news agency that they were “working closely with the Paris Mint, responsible for the production and quality control of the medals, and with the National Olympic Committee of the athlete concerned, in order to examine the medal in question to understand the circumstances and the cause of the damage.”
A spokesperson for the 2024 Paris Games further clarified by saying, “The medals are the most coveted objects of the Games and the most precious for the athletes. Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Paris Mint and engraved identically.”
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