Strategy February 16, 2026
How Olympic Medal Malfunctions Could Have Been Avoided, According to Suppliers
After multiple reports of medals breaking at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, promo manufacturers share what went wrong and why design choices matter.
Key Takeaways
• Multiple 2026 Winter Olympics medals have reportedly broken, separating from their ribbons during celebrations.
• Promo industry suppliers say design and material choices likely contributed to the failures.
• Mixing materials can create structural risks, especially when plastic components serve a load-bearing role.
When athletes step onto the podium at the Olympic Games, the medal placed around their neck is meant to symbolize permanence – a marker of years of discipline and achievement.
So what happens when that medal breaks, as has been repeatedly happening at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, taking place in Milan and Cortina? It results in a wave of negative attention for the Italian Olympic commission responsible for producing and awarding the medals.
Of course, medals aren’t limited to the Olympics. They’re presented at all kinds of events and are often crafted by suppliers in the promotional products industry. ASI Media spoke with two leading promo industry medal manufacturers to get their insights on what may have gone wrong with the Olympics’ signature piece of hardware – and to learn what considerations they prioritize when creating medals for distributors and end-users.
A Bad Break
Breezy Johnson, an American skier who had just won gold in the women’s downhill, told reporters she was “jumping in excitement” when the connector between her medal and its ribbon broke, leaving the medal and ribbon separate.
Similarly, Alysa Liu, a member of the U.S. figure skating team that captured gold in the team event, shared a TikTok video showing her medal fully detached from its ribbon with the caption “I just got this Olympic gold medal, already broke it.”
Other competitors experienced similar issues with their Olympic medals breaking. A broadcast-captured moment showed German biathlete Justus Strelow’s bronze medal fall off its ribbon and clatter to the floor during a team celebration, and Swedish skier Ebba Andersson reported her silver medal broke in two after it fell into the snow.
German biathlete Justus Strelow's bronze medal detaches from its ribbon during exuberant team celebrations after their mixed relay win at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.#WinterOlympics #winterolympics2026 pic.twitter.com/itL3MrS3qY
— aniruddha banerjee (@aniruddha163) February 9, 2026
USA TODAY reported that while previous Olympic medals had loops or grommets, the 2026 Winter Olympic medals featured a groove at the top. “A metal pin resting in a loop at the bottom of the ribbon fits into the groove, securing the medal and ribbon in place,” the newspaper wrote. “But the pin has a spring mechanism, and when the medal or ribbon is pulled or jostled, it activates, and the two separate.”
“The medals do not break,” said the Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute, which produced the medals, in a comment to USA TODAY. “For a limited number of medals, the anti-choking safety device activates during celebrations by opening.”
Supplier Perspective
While the organizing committee has pledged to replace damaged medals, the situation raises a broader question: How does something designed to last a lifetime fall apart so quickly? Industry suppliers and experts point first to construction choices – specifically, how materials interact under stress.
“It appears that the manufacturer attempted to use a plastic clip of some kind to attach the medals to the neck ribbons,” says Tom Farrell, marketing director for EMT (asi/52263), which produces medals, pins and patches, among countless other product categories. “Mixing materials like this, especially when the plastic clip is playing a structural role, is a risky proposition.”
In medal production, the attachment point is more than a finishing detail; it’s a load-bearing component that must withstand repeated handling, movement and long-term storage. A weak connector can compromise the entire piece regardless of how well the medal itself is struck or plated.
Power Stamped medals (MDS) from Simba (asi/87296) are available in brass and iron and come with two different varities of gold, silver or bronze plating and four PMS soft enamel colors. The company offers a variety of stock medals as well available in one business day.
“This sounds like a design issue or manufacturing process not going right,” says Nick Wright, marketing director at Simba (asi/87296), a maker of medals, rings, championship belts and other products. “With one of the highest profile events in sports, the quality control should have been more rigorous than it was.”
Quality control is precisely where suppliers focus their attention – particularly for recognition items that carry emotional weight beyond their material value.
“In promo, we’re always focused on creating emotional connections,” Farrell explains. “When it comes to medals, awards and other recognition items, that emotional connection is inherent. These are items that represent milestone achievements and sometimes significant life events. Because of that, durability isn’t just a functional requirement, it’s part of the meaning behind the item.”
The conversation also highlights a frequent misunderstanding about medal construction that often surprises people outside the industry: the common misconception that gold medals are made from solid gold.
“Olympic medals are typically made from another metal, like sterling silver, and then plated with gold,” Farrell says. “That’s actually similar to how most high-quality medals in the promotional space are made. Most commonly, base metals like brass, iron, or zinc alloys are used and then plated in different finishes to achieve the appropriate aesthetic and perceived value.”
EMT (asi/52263) offers multiple types of medals, including die-cast medals made from zinc alloy that can be made in custom shapes with a choice of finishes.
That reality underscores a manufacturing truth: Durability depends less on the headline material (such as gold) and more on engineering decisions made early in the design phase.
“Ideally, you shouldn’t have to choose between [aesthetic appeal and structural integrity],” Farrell says. “Selecting the right material, production processes and attachments to achieve the desired aesthetic should be part of the conversation from the beginning.”
Ultimately (and as Wright predicts), the broken-medal headlines may fade quickly. Still, for reputable suppliers, Farrell says, moments like this reinforce existing best practices.
“Situations like this are a reminder of how important it is to work with manufacturing partners who take quality seriously and stand behind their work,” he says. “These pieces carry lasting meaning, so they need to be built to last, not just to look good on day one. They should certainly make it past the celebration.”