Manu Bhaker was shocked to see the shine of her Olympic medal wear off just a week after winning her first bronze medal in Paris. Within a few days, the colour of her second Olympic bronze medal faded. Not only did Manu become the first Indian to win two medals at a single Olympics since independence. However, fellow shooters Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh were equally disappointed.
They saw the most coveted prize of their sports careers lose its shine. The poor quality of medals awarded at the Paris Olympics has been condemned, with complaints from medallists worldwide. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) informed AFP that the “defective medals” would be replaced. India won six medals at the Paris Games, with Neeraj Chopra taking the silver. Wrestler Aman Sehrawat, as well as the men’s hockey team, earned bronze.
Many hockey players have also had their medals lose their charm. Sarabjot and Manu took bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed event. He has contacted Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officials to have his medal changed. IOA President PT Usha stated that if any Indian medalist raised the problem with the apex sports body, she would immediately bring it up with the IOC.
Rusty Medals Spark Outrage
The Paris Olympics medals were portrayed as groundbreaking. Each medal is embellished with a genuine piece of France’s most renowned emblem. The Eiffel Tower was sourced from the monument’s running corporation. Its reverse side depicts Nike, the Greek goddess of triumph, and the Acropolis. According to the organising committee, Paris 2024 worked on the design of the medal with Chaumet, an LVMH Group company that is a Premium Partner of Paris 2024.
IOC said that the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris (the French State Mint). The institution is responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals. Assessing any complaints about the medals, and understanding the circumstances and cause of any damage. The defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically.
