Olympic Awards

The winners at the Olympic Games are awarded medals: the winner receives a gold medal, the runner-up a silver medal and the second runner-up a bronze medal, presented in a ceremony on the podium. Competitors placed first to eighth receive a diploma, and all participants receive commemorative medals. The national anthem of the winner's country is played during the ceremony, and the flags of the top three nations are raised together, with the winner's flag in the centre and highest position.

A short history of the awards

When the modern Games began in 1896, winners were given a silver medal and an olive branch, while runners-up received a laurel branch and a copper or bronze medal. In 1900, most winners received cups or trophies instead of medals. The familiar sequence of gold, silver and bronze for the first three places dates from the 1904 St Louis Games; the IOC later retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze to the three best-placed athletes of the 1896 and 1900 Games, so the record books would be consistent across every edition.

Physical properties of the medals

The IOC lays down the physical properties of the medals, which are actually designed and manufactured by the host country's own Organising Committee and NOC:

• Recipients: the top three competitors.
• Shape: usually circular, with an attachment for a chain or ribbon.
• Diameter: a minimum of 60 mm.
• Thickness: a minimum of 3 mm.
• Material: the gold medal is composed of at least 92.5% silver, plated with 6 grams of gold; the silver medal is 92.5% silver; the bronze medal is 97.0% copper with 0.5% tin and 2.5% zinc.
• Event details: the sport for which the medal has been awarded must be written on the medal.

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