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Breaking News: Medal Mishaps at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

We are now just days into the highly anticipated 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, yet an unfortunate trend has developed: at least four winning athletes have seen their hard-earned medals snap, fracture, or come apart. This includes Team USA’s first gold medal, which adds a layer of complexity to the competition’s celebratory atmosphere.

Medal Mishaps: A Shocking Trend

One of the most notable incidents involved alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who narrowly edged Germany’s Emma Aicher by a mere four hundredths of a second in the women’s downhill final. However, in what can only be described as a cruel twist of fate, her prized medal broke into three pieces during the medal ceremony.

Johnson was visibly distraught but also surprisingly candid about the incident. "Well, I was jumping up and down in excitement, and it fell off," she explained to reporters while displaying the remnants of her shattered medal. "I think that’s maybe why it broke." She even took the time to advise her fellow competitors: "Don’t jump in them."

This is not an isolated incident. U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu shared her own experience on Instagram, revealing that her team-event gold had similarly suffered a grave fate. “My medal don’t need the ribbon,” she humorously captioned a reel illustrating both her prize and its now-useless blue ribbon.

What Is Being Done to Address This Issue?

In response to the growing concerns surrounding medal integrity, Olympic organizers held a press conference on Monday. They acknowledged the issue and confirmed that they are actively investigating the possible causes behind these unfortunate incidents.

Andrea Francisi, the chief games operations officer for the Milan Cortina organizing committee, stated, “We have seen the images. We are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal is the dream of the athletes, so we want … the moment they are given it [to be] absolutely perfect, because we really consider it to be the most important moment. So we are working on it.”

Aside from Johnson and Liu, two European athletes have also faced similar issues. German biathlete Justus Strelow had a particularly dramatic experience when his mixed relay bronze medal detached from its ribbon and fell during a celebratory dance, sparking a viral moment on German television. Strelow attempted to reattach the medal, discovering that the clasp piece had broken off in the process.

"Hey Olympics, what’s up with those medals? Are they not meant to be celebrated?" read a humorous post from the German biathlon team, capturing the frustration of athletes who have worked hard for their accolades. Similarly, Swedish cross-country skier Ebba Andersson voiced her own frustrations, stating that her women’s skiathlon silver "fell in the snow and broke in two," adding, "Now I hope the organizers have a ‘Plan B’ for broken medals."

A spokesperson from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has indicated that they are waiting for organizers to resolve the situation, although it remains "not yet confirmed whether athletes will receive replacement medals."

Understanding the Cause: What’s Behind the Breakage?

Reports suggest that the breaking medals may be attributed to a flawed connection between the medal and the ribbon. According to Reuters, a “source close to the situation” indicated that the medal’s “cord” features a breakaway mechanism designed to release if pulled with excessive force, thus preventing choking hazards for the wearer.

Given that Olympic medals are redesigned for every Winter and Summer competition, this year’s version is particularly unique. It features two inclined halves—one with a mirrored, ice-like surface and the other with a frosty, granular texture, symbolizing the dual host cities of Milan and Cortina. Raffaella Paniè, the director of identity for the competition, emphasized that the design symbolizes the "union of two parts in constant motion," as well as paying tribute to both the athletes and the teams that supported them.

Previous Incidents and The Need for legal Support

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen medals fall short of expectations. Following the 2024 Paris Olympics, over 100 medalists alerted production company Monnaie de Paris that their medals had started to "deteriorate." By February 2025, the number of replacement requests had spiraled to 220—approximately 4% of all medals awarded. American skateboarder Nyjah Huston humorously remarked that his bronze medal looked as if it had “gone to war” after just a few weeks of wear.

Given the stakes involved—both emotional and financial—athletes may find themselves facing questions regarding their rights and recourse options. This is where the AI legalese decoder comes into play. This innovative tool assists individuals in navigating legal language and helps them understand their rights more clearly. Should athletes decide to seek potential compensation or replacements for their broken medals, the AI legalese decoder can provide them with the information needed to advocate for themselves effectively.

The organizers have stated that any damaged medals will be replaced, and the replacements will be “identically engraved,” thus ensuring that athletes receive a fitting semblance of their original hard-won awards.

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