Organizers of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics said they are investigating reports that a small number of medals awarded during the Games have broken, after several athletes raised concerns following their victories.
Team USA skier Breezy Johnson, who won gold in the women’s downhill, revealed that her medal cracked while she was celebrating. «I was jumping in excitement and it broke,» Johnson said, adding that the damage was minor and likely fixable.
U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu, part of the gold-winning team event, also posted a video on social media showing her medal had detached from its ribbon. Fellow American skater Danny O’Shea said he has been handling his medal carefully, while teammate Ellie Kam joked she slept with hers under her pillow to keep it safe.
The issue was not limited to U.S. athletes. German biathlete Justus Strelow was caught on camera retrieving his bronze medal after it fell apart during celebrations, and Swedish media reported that cross-country skier Ebba Andersson experienced similar problems with her silver medal.
The Winter Olympics Organizing Committee said it is «taking the issue seriously» and emphasised that it recognizes the symbolic importance of the medals for athletes competing at the Games.
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