Athletes often bite their medals after winning as a way to attract media attention. The tradition is believed to have originated from the US Gold Rush, where miners would bite their bullion to test if it was real gold or fake.
Gold medals, weighing between 500 and 800 grams, are actually made of silver coated with at least 6 grams of pure gold. The value of these “gold” medals fluctuates based on global markets, with the medals from the 2016 Rio Olympics estimated to be worth more than £360 each.
For the 2024 Tokyo Olympics, some of the 5,084 medals will be crafted from recycled metals, including scrap metal from the Eiffel Tower retrieved during renovations and maintenance.
Thierry Rebourg, creative director of Paris 2024, expressed that using the Eiffel Tower metal is a way for athletes to bring a piece of Paris back with them, symbolizing the essence of Paris and France.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
