We hate to break it to you - but Olympic medals aren't real

We hate to break it to you - but Olympic medals aren't real

You may refer to them as being 'Gold', 'Silver' or 'Bronze' medals, but we hate to break it to you, Olympics geeks: those tokens of success are just that; tokens and no more. 

Rio 2016 Olympics medals - Wikimedia
Wikimedia

The Lad Bible reports that the last time a 'Gold' medal was made out of actual gold was in 1912 at the Stockholm Olympic Games. So it's been at least 104 years since our top sports talents were honoured with actual pieces of gold, silver or bronze.


The medals are reportedly not 100% gold but are said to be made up of an alloy of silver and copper and are only about 1% gold. But symbolic as they are, their value can accrue on the basis of ownership - is the medal in question for instance, the iconic 1992 gold medal that Michael Johnson won in his world record-breaking 4x400 m relay? Well, one would imagine that might take up a couple of million US Dollars in an auction!


How sad that the most decorated Olympian in history can't crown off an illustrious career with the real thing. Either way, there isn't anyone that tops the legend that is Michael Phelps. 

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