{"id":459025,"date":"2026-02-09T23:25:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T23:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/459025\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T23:25:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T23:25:52","slug":"team-usa-winter-olympians-dont-understand-why-their-medals-are-breaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/459025\/","title":{"rendered":"Team USA Winter Olympians Don’t Understand Why Their Medals Are Breaking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several 2026 Winter Olympics<\/a> athletes competing in Milan have found themselves celebrating their big wins with broken medals.<\/p>\n

Team USA athlete Breezy Johnson \u2014 who won gold in the women\u2019s downhill alpine skiing event on Sunday, February 8 \u2014 revealed to reporters that her medal was officially in two separated parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo there\u2019s the medal. And there\u2019s the ribbon,\u201d Johnson told reporters<\/a> in an impromptu show and tell. \u201cAnd here\u2019s the little piece that is supposed to go into the ribbon to hold the medal. And yeah, it came apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Germany\u2019s Emma Aicher \u2014 who won silver in the race \u2014 joined the medalists\u2019 presser, Johnson could be seen pulling out her medal and warning Aicher, \u201cDo NOT jump in them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Related: Lindsey Vonn’s Teammate Defends Her Olympics Participation After ACL Tear<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tLindsey Vonn has the full support of her teammate Breezy Johnson at the 2026 Olympics, even as she powers through an ACL injury. \u201cThere will be six Americans running the Downhill training runs and if Lindsey cannot compete \u2026 or doesn\u2019t feel competitive enough others can take her place,\u201d Johnson, 30, wrote via Threads on [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n

After further investigation, this isn\u2019t a fluke thing happening with just one or two athletes.<\/p>\n

German biathlete Justus Strelow was dancing with his teammates when he realized the mixed relay bronze medal he won had fallen off the ribbon around his neck. Video<\/a> of the incident has since gone viral on social media.<\/p>\n

Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu also showcased her medal malfunction.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy medal don\u2019t need the ribbon,\u201d she wrote via Instagram<\/a> on Sunday. \u201cProud of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a press briefing on Monday, February 9, Milano Cortina 2026 Chief Games Operations Officer Andrea Francisi addressed concerns about medals breaking after athletes win big.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are aware of the situation. We have seen the images,\u201d Francisi told reporters<\/a>. \u201cObviously, we are trying to understand in detail if there is a problem. We are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal is the dream of the athletes, so we want that obviously in the moment they are given it that everything is absolutely perfect, because we really consider it to be the most important moment. So we are working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A total of 245 gold medals will be awarded to winners of 116 Olympic and 79 Paralympic events over the next few weeks at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.<\/p>\n

Just six grams of the 506-gram gold medals contain gold, USA Today<\/a> reported. The medals otherwise consist of silver. The silver medals consist of 500 grams of 99 percent silver and the bronze medals consist of 420 grams of copper.<\/p>\n

According to organizers, the medals are designed to appear to have two offset halves, which \u201csymbolise the culmination of the athlete\u2019s journey and all those who have walked beside them along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Before the games began, several athletes spoke to Us Weekly about what excited them most about their Olympic experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the greatest honors to be able to go to the Olympics and represent the U.S.,\u201d ice dancer Madison Chock<\/a> told Us in an exclusive cover story<\/a>. \u201cFor us being Americans, we have such pride in our patriotism and really, the American dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hockey player Hilary Knight added, \u201cIf you want to call us sports ambassadors or sports envoys, we can have an impact on someone\u2019s life in a small way. I do think there\u2019s a greater responsibility when you\u2019re representing your country on the world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

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