They shine like the real thing, but how much gold is there really in the medals athletes will lift on the podium at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Not much, according to the organizers of the Games in Italy.
A total of 245 gold medals will be awarded to winners of 116 Olympic and 79 Paralympic events over the next few weeks at the Milano Cortina Games.
Just six grams of the 506-gram gold medals contain gold; the medals otherwise consist of silver, organizers said. There are about 450 grams in a pound.
The metals used to make the awards are highly refined. The gold medals consist of 99.9% pure gold and 99% pure silver.
According to organizers, the silver medals consist of 500 grams of 99% silver and the bronze medals consist of 420 grams of copper. Organizers don’t specify the purity of the bronze medals.
How big are the medals?
The Olympic medals have a diameter of about 80 millimeters and are around 10 millimeters thick, according to organizers.
In measurements commonly used in the U.S., the medals are about three inches in diameter and over a third of an inch thick.
What’s behind the design?
The medals being awarded to athletes at Milano Cortina are designed to appear to have two offset halves.
According to organizers, the halves ‘symbolise the culmination of the athlete’s journey and all those who have walked beside them along the way.’
The medals were developed by designers at the organizing committee of the games in Italy.
What are the medals worth?
Gold was valued at $160 a gram on Feb. 6 during the opening ceremony. Silver was valued at about $2.50 a gram.
Each individual gold medal then consists of about $960 of gold and $1,250 of silver for a total of $2,210.