Handle with Care: The Delicate Medals of This Year’s Winter Olympics

Milan-Cortina Olympics: U.S. Athletes Shine Amid Medal Quality Concerns

The United States experienced a strong showing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics Tuesday, securing five medals, including three silver and two bronze. However, questions regarding the durability of the medals arose following a notable incident involving a women’s downhill champion.

After Breezy Johnson won the women’s downhill on Saturday, concerns emerged when her medal was reportedly damaged while she celebrated with teammates. "Don’t jump in them," Johnson cautioned. “I was jumping in excitement and it broke. I’m sure someone will fix it. It’s not crazy broken but a little broken.” Johnson received a replacement medal, although it requires engraving before her next competition.

Historical precedent exists for such quality issues with Olympic medals. Past comparisons include tarnishing incidents during the Paris Olympics, where medals resembled crocodile skin. Now, Milan-Cortina faces similar scrutiny, especially as several athletes, including U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu, have reported their medals coming apart.

Games organizers reassured stakeholders, stating they are paying "maximum attention" to rectify the problem.

On the competition side, the U.S. narrowly missed a gold medal in mixed doubles curling, as Sweden clinched a 6-5 victory with a perfect last throw. Reflecting on the sport, curling enthusiasts noted, “The stone giveth and the stone taketh away.”

Among the noteworthy performances, Ben Ogden earned silver in the men’s sprint classic, marking the first U.S. men’s cross-country medal in five decades. He finished behind Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who secured his second gold of the Games, while the last U.S. cross-country medal was won by Bill Koch in 1976. Alex Hall also contributed with a silver in men’s freeski slopestyle.

In women’s single luge, Ashley Farquharson claimed bronze, and the U.S. women’s team finished fourth in combined Alpine skiing behind Switzerland and Germany. Highlighting a commanding performance, the U.S. women’s hockey team triumphed 5-0 over Canada, with both teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Ilia Malinin, a fan-favorite dubbed the "Quad God," led the men’s short program in figure skating, holding a five-point advantage heading into the free skate event.

While progress continues at the Games, commentators have noted humorous exchanges regarding the Scandinavian names in the biathlon events, raising questions of pronunciation proficiency akin to the challenges of assembling furniture from IKEA.

Elsewhere on Tuesday:

• Japan achieved a clean sweep in women’s snowboarding, adding to its earlier victory in the men’s big air.
• Norway bolstered its medal count in biathlon, while the U.S. team finished 27th.
• Italy took gold in the mixed team normal hill ski jumping, with the U.S. placing seventh.

As coverage of the Olympics continues, the drama and excitement are expected to remain in full focus, especially with key events slated for Wednesday, including the highly anticipated free dance in ice dancing.