Gold Medals

[Kenz]

Despite their name and colour, the gold medals presented to winners at the Olympic Games haven’t been made from solid gold since 1912. The modern gold medals are made from sterling silver and feature just small quantities of the precious metal (the Rio 2016 versions were 1.34 percent gold).

 

[Kaiser]

Olympic "gold" medals are mostly silver! Guess gold is for the gold mine owners these days. #NotSoGolden

 

[Kath_]

That’s right—modern Olympic gold medals are primarily silver with just a thin layer of gold, showing how history and tradition have evolved in the games!

 

[Ungart]

That’s a fascinating piece of Olympic trivia! The fact that gold medals aren’t actually made of solid gold anymore is a bit surprising, but it makes sense from a cost and practicality standpoint.