What are the Olympic medals made of? What is the function?

1896 In the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens, the champion won a silver medal and a crown made of olive branches, and the runner-up won a bronze medal and a crown. This medal was carefully designed by French artist Jules Chapelain.

The second Olympic Games was held in Paris, and the competition rules stipulated that prizes with "special artistic significance" should be awarded. As a result, the medal was cancelled, and every Olympic contestant got a rectangular commemorative medal with the pattern of the brave holding an olive branch.

In the following Olympic Games, each medal pattern design has its own style, and has not formed a fixed style.

Until 1928, the Olympic Games was held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The medal was designed by Professor Giuseppe Cacio, an artist from Florence, Italy. The design is a female statue holding an olive branch, which symbolizes friendship, harmony and unity. This medal is awarded not only to the athletes, but also to the winners of the art competitions held at the same time as the Olympic Games. Since then, the positive patterns of medals in previous Olympic Games have remained unchanged, only the place names and the number of sessions have changed accordingly.

1956, the IOC decided to indicate the sports on the medals. The IOC has no special regulations on the size and design of medals, but it needs to be approved in the end. The International Olympic Committee also stipulates that the medals and certificates of the Winter Olympics should be different from those of the Summer Olympics, but there is no uniform standard. Every Olympic Games, whether in summer or winter, the design of medals must be approved by the International Olympic Committee.

In 2004, since the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games, the design of the front of the medal was revised for the first time to reflect the Greek characteristics. From now on, all Olympic medals will reflect Greek characteristics, because this is the place where the Olympic Games originated and revived. From the Amsterdam Olympic Games in 1928 to the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, the medals awarded to athletes are engraved with the seated statue of the goddess of victory. From the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Nigel got up from the medal, put on his wings and flew to the stadium to bring victory to the best athletes.