Broken Medals Spark Scrutiny at Winter Olympics

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Milan/Cortina: Olympic officials have acknowledged reports of medals breaking shortly after being awarded, saying they are “working on it” following multiple incidents involving athletes from different countries and sports.

The issue first came to light after U.S. skier Breezy Johnson revealed that her gold medal detached from its ribbon during celebrations following her victory in Sunday’s alpine downhill event. Johnson showed the broken medal during her post-race press conference, joking that it came apart while she was jumping in celebration.

“I assume someone will fix it,” Johnson said, while warning fellow medalists not to jump while wearing theirs.

More incidents surfaced on Monday. U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu posted a video on social media showing her gold medal separated from its ribbon after winning the team event. German biathlete Justus Strelow was also caught on video when his medal fell to the floor as he celebrated with teammates following the mixed relay event.

In all reported cases, the metal bar connecting the medal to its ribbon appeared to have broken, causing the medal to detach and fall.

Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for the Milan Cortina organising committee, confirmed officials were investigating the issue.

“We are aware of the situation and have seen the images,” Francisi told the Associated Press. “We are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal represents the dream of the athletes.”

Despite the mishap, Johnson later confirmed she received a replacement medal the same day, though it will need to be engraved separately. She said her original medal broke within 15 minutes of receiving it.

“I might not have many Olympic records,” Johnson joked, “but I might have the shortest-lived Olympic medal.”