Winter Olympics 2026 Medals: Are they made of solid gold, silver and bronze, design, how much are they worth?
They are the prize that every Olympian dreams of receiving - but what are they actually worth?
This year’s Winter Olympics is now underway with curlers and ice hockey players in action before the Opening Ceremony on Friday, February 6.
Taking place across Lombardy and Northeast Italy until February 22, the Milano Cortina games are the 25th time the event has taken place.
A total of 2,871 athletes from 92 countries will compete in 116 events across eight sports and 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering.
That means a lot of medals will be handed out to those athletes who end up on the podium.
Here’s everything you need to know about the medals.
How many medals will be handed out at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games?
The combined total of medals between the Olympics and the Paralympics will be 1,146. That’s a lot of metal and ribbon!
Are the Winter Olympic Games medals made out of solid gold, silver and bronze?
Unfortunately for the winning competitors - given the price of precious metals at the moment - the Olynpic Gold Medals are not made of solid gold. Instead, as is stipulated by the International Olympic Committee, they are made of 500 grams of 999 silver plated with six grams of pure 999.9 gold.
The silver medals are made out of 500 grams of pure 999 silver, while the bronze medals are made out of 420 grams of copper.
How much are the Winter Olympics 2026 medals worth?
While competitors would doubtless agree that the medals are priceless, according to current precious metal value, the gold medals are worth around £1,690, the silver medals around £1,000 and the bronze medals around £3.30.
Who made the medals for the 2026 Winter Olympics?
The medals were made by the Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute, who also made Italian coins, passports and postage stamps.
The medals are made of 100 per cent recycled materials and cast in furnaces powered by renewable energy - meaning they are the most environmentally-friendly Olympic medals ever produced.
What is the design on the 2026 Winter Olympics medals?
The two sides of the medals are half mirrored surface and half granular texture which represents the "union of two parts in constant motion", as well as the fact that this is the first Games to be hosted by two cities.
The Olympic or Paralympic logo appears on one side, with the Games' logos on the other with the specific event engraved - so every medal will be unique.
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