The modern Olympic Games are an international event, a beautiful holiday that unites not only the entire sports world, but also all the peoples of the planet.
Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine the Olympics without the inherent obligatory attributes: a white flag with five interwoven multi-colored rings, a torch lit in Greece, an emblem, a motto, symbols, talismans and, of course, Olympic medals.
Traditions of Olympic Awards
The custom of encouraging athletes for individual or team achievements at the Olympics is as old as these international competitions themselves. In those ancient times, the winners were awarded with olive wreaths, palm branches, and the hometown of the Olympic athlete paid him a cash prize, surrounded him with honors and granted privileges.
The tradition of awarding Games champions with medals arose in 1894. At the IOC First Congress in Paris, devoted to preparations for the 1st Olympics in 1896, the Olympic Charter was adopted , which sets out the form, minimum size and composition of Olympic medals, as well as the rules and award ceremony. The basic principle of the charter of those years is the presentation of awards depending on the result: for 1st and 2nd place - silver medals (925 test), while the winner’s medal was coated with pure gold in an amount of at least 6 grams. For 3rd place, athletes were awarded a bronze medal. The awards should have a diameter of at least 60 mm and a thickness of 3 mm. The established sizes, as well as the shape of medals, have changed over the years.
So, in 1900, winners were awarded rectangular bronze-plated silver plaques, and in 1908, the composition of the gold medal was 100% consistent with its name. However, this award, the only time consisting of pure gold, was small - with a diameter of 3.3 centimeters, it weighed 21 grams and was more like a coin. Later, medals began to be made larger, but the share of gold in them decreased significantly, although it never dropped below 6 grams specified in the charter.
The composition of the Olympic medals
Many Olympic fans are interested in the question: “How much gold is there in a winner’s medal, won by labor and then in a fair fight?” The answer is mixed.
The design and chemical composition of Olympic medals changed at almost every Olympics. However, the gold content in them is determined by the recommendations of the Olympic Charter and ranges from 1 to 1.5% of the weight of the award. This is 6-7 grams. For example, at the XXX Summer Olympic Games in London, the main metals of the highest award are silver and copper, respectively 92.5 and 6.16%. Gold of the highest standard, which covers the surface of the coin, is present in an amount of slightly more than 1%. So, in relation to the first awards of almost all Olympics (except for the one held in London in 1908), the word "gold" would be more correct to write in quotation marks. But is the composition of the Olympic medals really important? Indeed, in fact, the highest award to an athlete is a recognition of his highest sporting achievements, which he achieved by the physical embodiment of fortitude and the ultimate will to win.
Medals of the Sochi Olympics
The composition of the Olympic medals in Sochi differs little from the accepted standards, and yet they are the largest and heaviest in the history of the Games. A set of unique awards combines original design and innovative manufacturing techniques. Sochi medals fully convey the versatility and contrasts of the original culture of Russia.
Each product made with the highest accuracy, up to a thousandth of a millimeter, has a unique polycarbonate insert with the Olympiad patchwork. This pattern consists of 16 ornaments of the most famous Russian national crafts. The obverse of the medal depicts the
Olympic rings, on the reverse - the name of the type of competition and the emblem of the Olympics, on the edge (edge) the name of the Games is written in Russian, French and English.
The composition of the Olympic medals in Sochi
The gold medal is made of an alloy of silver and copper (92.5 and 6.16%, respectively). Copper is needed to increase strength. Plating - 999 gold - 1.34% of the weight of the award. The silver medal contains 93% silver, 960 samples and 7% copper. The bronze medal is made of an alloy of copper with a small addition of tin and zinc.
Sochi Olympics awards will go down in the history of the Games as the most innovative, the most numerous, the most diverse, and, without undue modesty, the most beautiful. They embody modern Russia. This becomes clear at the first glance at any of the medals, because the design of these unique products is based on our favorite and world-famous ornaments and symbols. The well-deserved awards that will always remain with the winning athletes will remind them of Russia and the unforgettable Olympic Games in Sochi.