icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
30 May, 2013 10:38

2014 Sochi Olympic medals unveiled

Decorations craved by athletes all over the globe - medals for the 2014 Sochi Olympics - have been unveiled in St. Petersburg. For the Games due to start in 251 days, a record-breaking number of 1,300 medals were produced.

The medals represent a combination of metal surface, patchwork designs, and a transparent pattern representing the icy slopes of the Caucasus Mountains.

They were presented by Russian Olympic skating champion Svetlana Zhurova, who stressed how vital a medal is for sporting professionals.

“For any athlete an Olympic medal is a precious gift which will stay with him or her throughout the years. The athlete may hide it in a secret place, but when you take it and look at it – you remember the victorious moments. I look at this Sochi-2014 medal here and understand that nobody will ever doubt the fact that this medal was won in Russia. All the codes, patterns of Russian tradition have been encrypted into this medal. There is ice and flight in this medal…”

Photographers take pictures of the unveiled Sochi 2014 Olympic (L-R) Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, as they are displayed during an IOC executive board meeting at the SportAccord International Convention in St. Petersburg, on May 30, 2013.(AFP Photo / Kirill Kudryavtsev)

The Paralympic medals were made in a similar stylistic design, with its form set to represent the integrity and soul power of the Paralympic athletes.

The medals were produced using an open tender among professional designers. Although there were international bids, it was a Russian team that won.

The gold, silver and bronze medals, weigh between 460 and 531 grams. It takes 18 hours to produce each medal.

According to the international standards, the medals aren’t produced of only precious metals. For instance, the Sochi 2014 gold medal has a golden surface with an alloy of different metals underneath.

Almost 3kg of pure gold were used to cover all the golden medals set to be awarded to the Games’ event winners.

The first ever Winter Olympics to be held in Russia run from February 7 to 23 in the southern city of Sochi.

Russian athlete and the London 2012 Paralympic Games champion in the Men's 100m T12 event Fedor Trikolich presents the gold medal for the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi during a ceremony in St. Petersburg May 30, 2013.(Reuters / Alexander Demianchuk)

The unveiled Sochi 2014 Olympic Gold Medal is displayed during an IOC executive board meeting at the SportAccord International Convention in St. Petersburg, on May 30, 2013.(AFP Photo / Kirill Kudryavtsev)

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0