Paris Olympic medals to be replaced after several athletes complain of tarnishing


Several Olympians will receive new medals after complaining that their hardware from the 2024 Summer Games in Paris have already begun to tarnish, according to the French mint that produced the medals. 

The Monnaie de Paris, which produced 5,084 medals for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, told The Associated Press that it will replace medals after several athletes complained that they had already begun to deteriorate as early as August. 

Three Olympic gold medals from the 2024 Paris Games on display. (Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

“The Monnaie de Paris has taken the issue of damaged medals very seriously since the first exchange requests in August, and has mobilized its internal teams,” the French mint said. 

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“Since then, the company has modified and optimized its relative varnishing process. The Monnaie de Paris will replace all damaged medals at the athletes’ request during the first quarter of 2025.”

According to the AP, the French mint declined to comment on the exact number of medals it would be replacing, but a French outlet reported the number was over 100. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was working with the French mint to ensure the medals are made in an “identical way to the originals.”

Nyjah Huston

Bronze medallist Nyjah Huston holds his medal after the victory ceremony for the men’s street skateboarding event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on July 29, 2024. (ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

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“The Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution tasked with the production and quality control of the medals, in order to appraise any issues with medals to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage,” the IOC said in a statement to Front Office Sports.

“Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved in an identical way to the originals.”

American skateboarder Nyjah Huston was among the athletes to complain about the medals tarnishing. After winning bronze in the men’s street event, Huston took to social media just days later to reveal how his medal had deteriorated. 

Eaton Huston 1

Silver medalist Jagger Eaton, left, and bronze medallist Nyjah Huston pose with their medals after the victory ceremony for the men’s street skateboarding event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on July 29, 2024. (KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

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“Alright, so these Olympic medals look great when they are brand new,” Huston said in a video posted on Instagram. 

“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.” 

French swimmers Yohann Ndoye-Brouard and Clément Secchi also recently complained about their medals chipping. 

The medals were crafted to include polished chunks of iron taken from the Eiffel Tower which were saved from renovations. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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