Just days after the Paris Olympics medals were distributed, the truth behind their tarnishing has been revealed to the public.
More than 100 medals have been returned by athletes
The truth about the tarnished medals from the 2024 Paris Olympics became clear just days after they were handed out.
Over 100 athletes who won gold, silver, or bronze medals have returned theirs due to quality issues.
LVMH and Monnaie de Paris respond to the controversy
LVMH, the designer of the medals, has distanced itself from the responsibility of producing them.
The Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint), which handled the production, clarified that they are accountable for the issues.
However, the Paris Mint declined to comment on how many medals have been returned.
It also refuted claims that three people had lost their jobs due to the controversy.
Olympian Natalya Diehm speaks out about her tarnished medal
The first signs of medal deterioration were reported by Olympian Natalya Diehm, who won bronze in BMX freestyle.
Within hours of receiving her medal, she noticed it had started to tarnish.
Diehm shared her frustration on Instagram: “Crazy how quick and how much this tarnished from day one.”
“I wanted to share this so that I don’t have to try and hide it anymore.
“Hopefully will get this fixed but waiting to hear back. I know quite a few of the bronze medals are doing the same thing but not to this degree.”
She added that the medal looked worse with time and hoped to have it fixed.
What caused the medals to tarnish?
Diehm explained that she hadn’t done anything unusual with her medal. She clarified, “I haven’t taken it out partying, it’s not from people touching it too much.”
The tarnishing was evident on the front, back, and rim of the medal.
She also compared her medal to another bronze medal won by a fellow Australian Olympian, which remained in pristine condition.
The Australian Olympic Committee addresses the issue
Diehm contacted the Australian Olympic Committee about the tarnishing.
They informed her that it wasn’t the first time such an issue had been reported.
She revealed that a similar problem occurred with medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Paris Mint identifies the cause of the issue
According to reports from the New York Times, the Monnaie de Paris identified the cause of the tarnishing.
A technical glitch related to the varnish used to prevent oxidation was the primary issue.
The varnish was found to be defective, leading to the tarnishing.
Changes to the varnish recipe due to EU regulations
The defective varnish was due to changes in the recipe caused by European Union regulations banning chromium trioxide.
This toxic chemical was previously used to prevent metal from rusting, but the change led to unforeseen consequences for the medals.