On social media, many viewers were stunned after the Olympic athlete compared his gold medals from the past two games, including Tokyo and Paris.
On X platform, many viewers stunned after Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen compared his gold medals from Tokyo and Paris
Viktor Axelsen compared his gold medal from Tokyo and Paris
Olympic gold medalist Viktor Axelsen recently shared a video that has gone viral on X platform.
The video has the caption: Tokyo vs. Paris
In the footage, Viktor Axelsen compares the gold medals he won at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Axelsen showed the two medals side by side. The gold medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics stands out for its shinier, more polished appearance, despite being several years old. Meanwhile, the Paris 2024 medal, though unique in design, appears less lustrous.
The video quickly went viral and sparked debate among viewers.
The Danish badminton player’s video has ignited a lively discussion online about the design and quality of the medals from the two games.
In the comment selection, social media users were quick to share their opinions. Many favor the Tokyo medal for its perceived higher quality. While others defended the Paris medal, emphasizing its creative design and symbolic significance.
One person said: Tokyo looks lovely from behind… Paris looks like a chocolate wrapper..
A second wrote: Starting from opening ceremony to this day. I always said Tokyo 2020 was way better than Paris 2024. Mind you, Japan had only 1 year.
While a third commented: Warra cheap medals in Paris. Bronze got washed off. Gold lost its glaze.
Another added: Tokyo has been polished better than Paris.
Someone else said: the Tokyo one looks expensive meanwhile, Paris is just meh.
The debate over medal quality is not new.
Interest in this topic surged earlier when US skateboarder Nyjah Huston spoke out. He shared his concerns about the durability of his bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Games.
Huston noted that his medal had begun to deteriorate shortly after he received it. This led him to call on the Olympics to improve the quality of their medals.
The Value of an Olympic medal
The discussion around the physical attributes of the medals continues. It’s worth noting that Olympic gold medals are primarily composed of around 500 grams of pure silver. They contain only six grams of gold.
Despite the material composition, the true value of an Olympic medal lies in the achievement it represents.
As one commenter aptly put it, the gold medals at the 1904, 1908, and 1912 Olympic Games were all made of solid gold. Today, gold medals aren’t actually gold. The International Olympic Committee requires that gold medals be made of at least 92.5% silver, but also have about six grams of gold.
What did you think about the medal’s worth beyond its appearance?