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The American skateboarder shared the battered state of his medal on Instagram. (Image credit: Instagram)
There is much debate about the quality of the medals at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
When an Olympian wins a medal, be it gold, silver or bronze, it is priceless to them. It is a reminder of how hard they worked and that their efforts were worth it. While athletes hold these medals close to their hearts as memories they will cherish forever, just the thought of the medals becoming ruins can make them feel uneasy. That is the case for Nyjah Huston of the United States, an Olympic bronze medalist. The 29-year-old American skateboarder recently showed off the medal he won at the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics.
On July 29, Huston won the bronze medal in the men’s street skateboarding final in Paris, and it already looks a bit battered. The athlete even shared videos and pictures of the medal and joked that it looked like it had returned from a war.
In one of his Instagram stories, Huston says, “Okay, so these Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting them sit for a bit with some sweat on my skin and then having my friends wear them over the weekend, apparently they’re not as high quality as you’d think.” As he turns the camera to show the wear and tear on the medal, you can see it getting rough and one part is even starting to chip off a little.
In another post, he shared a close-up of the medal and wrote, “The medal looks like it has been to war and back.”
The images and videos immediately went viral, sparking a debate online about the quality of these coveted medals. One user shared a screenshot of the video and wrote, “After a week, the quality of the Olympic bronze medal has gone down.” Many others voiced their opinions in the comments section.
One wrote: “This year’s Olympic Games in France seem cheap from the start.”
Another commented: “The quality of the entire Olympic Games has declined.”
The quality of the entire Olympic Games has declined. – Daniel Stroup (@DanielStroupArt) 9 August 2024
Former Paralympian Derrick Helton shared a photo of his own bronze medal from London 2012 and explained that it is still the same.
On the other hand, some users argued that it is normal for bronze medals to oxidize after some time. This has drawn attention to another problem at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Previously, a big discussion had started about the poor living conditions in the Olympic Village.
