The origin of the medal
The Olympic Games, the Asian Games and various individual world championships all award the winners of the competition gold, silver and bronze medals. However, a long time ago, the prize for winners in sports competitions was a circle woven from olive laurel branches, that is, the “laurel crown.” In 1465, at a fun fair held in Zurich, Switzerland, the winner of the triple jump event was awarded a gold medal. This may be the first time that the winner has not been given a “laurel”. The winners of the first Olympic Games in 1895 won such “laurels.”
It was not until 1907 that the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Committee held in The Hague, the Netherlands, officially made the decision to award the Olympic Games winners gold, silver and bronze medals, and it was implemented in the 4th London Olympics that followed.
Since the 8th Paris Olympic Games in 1924, the International Olympic Committee has further made the following supplementary decision: In addition to awarding medals, winners will also be issued certificates (certificates).
It was decided to make specific regulations on the design and production of gold medals, silver medals and bronze medals: the diameter of the medals for the first, second and third prizes shall not be less than 60 mm and the thickness shall be 3 mm. Among them, the first prize (gold medal) and second prize (silver medal) medals are made of silver with a purity (silver content) not less than 92.5%, and the surface of the first prize medal (gold medal) is plated with at least 6 grams of pure gold. These regulations have been used since the 9th Amsterdam Olympic Games in 1928.