Winter Olympics officials to replace medals that cracked and broke at Games

"Officials have also promised to repair any of the medals that were awarded in the opening three days of competition in Milano Cortina, after identifying on Monday that the issue stemmed from the medal's cord, which is fitted with a breakaway mechanism required by law. The system is designed to release automatically if pulled with force, preventing the wearer from being choked."

"However it led to problems that began on Saturday when the American downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson revealed that her gold medal had fallen off her ribbon as she jumped in celebration. Speaking at the daily Milano Cortina briefing, spokesman Luca Cassasa said: Following reports of issues affecting a small number of medals, the organising committee immediately reviewed the matter, working closely with the State Mint, which produced the medals. A solution has been identified, and a targeted fix has been put in place,"

"Athletes whose medals have been affected are encouraged to return them through the appropriate channels so that they can be promptly repaired and returned. Milano Cortina 2026 remains fully committed to ensuring that medals, which represent the pinnacle of every athlete's journey, meet the highest standards of quality and care. Other athletes have also reported problems, including the Sweden crosscountry skier Ebba Andersson, who said that her medal fell in the snow and broke in two"

Organisers identified a fault with the medals' ribbon breakaway mechanism at Milano Cortina and implemented a targeted fix after initial incidents. The breakaway system, required by law to release if pulled with force and prevent choking, caused some medals to detach or crack when falling. Officials promised to repair medals awarded during the opening three days and asked affected athletes to return them for prompt repair and return. The organising committee worked with the State Mint, is rechecking all medals as a precaution, and acknowledged reports from athletes including Breezy Johnson, Ebba Andersson and Alysa Liu.

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