Qualifying for the Olympics? Yeah, that’s a dream come true for any athlete, no doubt about it. But what if one could win a medal there? That is the epitome of happiness, isn’t it? It is a lot more than having the opportunity to stand on a podium with a metallic around one’s neck. It is the end product of hard work, devotion, and lots of blood, sweat, and tears. These medals are the symbol of personal and national identity, the top of the sportsman’s career. Back in the 1960 Rome Olympics, we got that iconic moment when athletes had their medals draped around their necks for the first time.

Fast forward to the Paris 2024 Games, those athletes stood proud with gold, silver, and bronze around their necks, smiling. But these medals were not the regular ones, as they had a piece of the Eiffel Tower inside them! Talk about a double win. Olympic victory and a fragment of Paris’ iconic landmark? That’s something you would never want to let go of. But, fast forward a bit, and here we are. More than four months after the Olympics, over 100 athletes have returned their medals because of damage, and now the fans are restless.

Athletes return their Paris Olympics medals

So, picture this—Reddit being its usual buzzing self. A subreddit shared this post on 15th January, and it’s a doozy. The headline reads, “More than 100 athletes return Olympic 2024 medals. Over 100 athletes return Paris 2024 medals five months after Games over poor quality.” And, of course, the subreddit throws its own spicy caption on top: “More than 100 athletes return Olympic 2024 medals.” Cue the chaos, because, yup, fans were absolutely debating in the comments!

One user swooped into the comments with the mic-drop line: “Bronze tarnishes crazy fast.” And, well, they weren’t wrong. Here’s the scoop: bronze isn’t just your average metal. It’s this ancient, super-versatile alloy that’s been around for super long, found in almost every culture, and prized for its strength and artistry. But, let’s be real, it has its quirks. Over time, bronze develops this thing called tarnish, a fancy way of saying it gets a patina—like when it reacts with acids, dust, or just life itself.

Even handling it too much (yeah, blame those sweaty hands) can leave it looking uneven and, well, not-so-pretty. Paris Olympic winners such as Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, Yasmin Harper, Clement Secchi, and Viktor Axelsen are a few of the names who have shown disappointment towards the medal received, and fans aren’t happy about the entire situation. Thus, the chaos in the Reddit comment section isn’t done yet, as plenty of folks seem ready to weigh in with their hot takes, too.

Fans debate over the poor quality of the medal

Another user chimed in with their own two cents, dropping some serious knowledge. They said, “The varnishes that used to be put on medals contained an ingredient that was banned sometime before the Olympics, but the Monnaie de Paris (who made the medals) didn’t manage to find a satisfactory substitute in time for the Olympics (and for other clients as well, for that matter). So the varnish is faulty, which is why the medals are corroding that fast.” Turns out, back in the day, the varnish recipe had a secret sauce—a now-banned ingredient that kept those shiny medals, well, shiny. But this was just the tip of the iceberg!

One curious user popped into the chat like, “Are they getting replacements or are they just…not gonna have a medal anymore?” You could practically hear the collective gasp, right? But fear not, because another user swooped in with the reassurance we all needed: “They are getting a new one. Free of charge, of course.” Phew! Hopefully, the crisis has been averted. Even the IOC couldn’t keep quiet on this one and broke their silence, owning up to some varnish drama. Yup, it turns out there were flaws in the coating process.

But hey, they’re not just stopping at apologies—they’re promising action! In a statement, Monnaie de Paris shared, “The Monnaie de Paris has taken the issue of damaged medals very seriously since the first exchange requests in August and has mobilized its internal teams.” And here’s the cherry on top: all those tarnished medals will be replaced, with shiny new ones expected to roll out by the first quarter of 2025. Better late than never, right?

Team USA skateboarder Nyjah Huston was one of the first to call out the medal madness, and boy, did he not hold back! He said his bronze medal looked like it had “gone to war and back.” He added, “These Olympic medals look great when they’re brand-new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you’d think.” And he even dropped a picture of his poor, chipped medal!

This whole fiasco got people wondering if it’s just the bronze medals that are having a meltdown. One user asked, “Are they only returning bronze medals?” To which another chimed in with their theory: “I think so. The combination of iron and copper seems to be problematic.” Sounds like the bronze medals are really stealing the show (for all the wrong reasons).

Another user decided to flip the script with a unique and poetic take. They said, “I kinda liked how it aged. When they got the medal, it was shiny, like their celebration of victory. Through time, this becomes an old but golden memory.” So that is one neutral way to see it. What do you think about this medal drama? Do you have any other theory? Let us know in the comments!