France replacing 2024 Olympic medals after numerous complaints of deterioration
American Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in men's street skateboarding in Paris, was one of the first Olympians to call out the quality of his medal
The 2024 Paris Olympics ended less than six months ago, but some of the medals handed out had an even shorter shelf life.
The French mint, known as the Monnaie de Paris, will be replacing a number of medals they gave out to Olympians and Paralympians at the Summer Olympics due to complaints of deterioration and severe tarnishing.
The Monnaie de Paris declined to reveal the number of medals that will be replaced. According to an investigative report from French news site La Lettre, around 100 complaints have come in from Olympians who have seen their medals noticeably degrade. The earliest complaints began in August, less than one month after the Paris Olympics ended.
“The Monnaie de Paris has taken the issue of damaged medals very seriously since the first exchange requests in August, and has mobilized its internal teams,” the French mint said. “Since then, the company has modified and optimized its relative varnishing process. The Monnaie de Paris will replace all damaged medals at the athletes’ request during the first quarter of 2025.”
American Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in men's street skateboarding in Paris, was one of the first Olympians to call out the quality of his medal. In August he posted an Instagram Story with multiple photos of his bronze medal after a weekend of wearing it and sharing it with friends. The back of the medal was tarnished, and front surface of the medal had started to chip away.
"Medal looking like it went to war and back," Huston wrote.
The medals were designed by Parisian jewelry house Chaumet, and each contains a small piece of the actual Eiffel Tower embedded within. The French mint will work with the 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee to assess each complaint and organize an identical replacement.
