The immediate question on everyone's mind was how this could happen, especially for medals that were reportedly the most expensive in Olympic history. Organizers were forced to launch an official investigation into the cause, with Milano Cortina Chief Games Operations Officer Andrea Francisi telling the press, "We are fully aware of the situation and you have seen the pictures... We are looking into what exactly the problem is".
Hold a strong flashlight behind the medal in a darkened room. If the fracture goes completely through the planchet, a faint line of light will bleed through the metal. Prevention and Preservation Strategies
How to Make Your Own "Crack-Ready" Medal medal crack
The medal had belonged to a Finnish runner, Eino Lehtonen, who won gold in the team gymnastics event. For over a century, it had rested in its velvet-lined case, pristine. But over the past five years, the cracks had begun to spread.
A professional conservator can remove corrosion without damaging the metal. The immediate question on everyone's mind was how
Medal cracks are primarily caused by the natural wear and tear of dies used in the minting process. Dies are metal plates that are engraved with the design of a medal or coin and are used to strike the image onto the metal blank. Over time, as the dies are used repeatedly, they can become worn and develop small cracks and fissures. These cracks can then be transferred to the medals or coins being minted, resulting in the characteristic raised lines or cracks.
had to be replaced by February 2025 due to rapid corrosion, tarnishing, and surface degradation. Contextual Usage of "Medal Crack" Hold a strong flashlight behind the medal in a darkened room
: The downhill skiing champion displayed a cracked and chipped gold medal to the media, noting it broke while she was jumping in excitement.
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