The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina are well underway, but some winners have already found themselves unwittingly engaged in a new sort of game—finding out whose medals aren't going to break.
Multiple Olympians have reported that their medals have become detached from their ribbons in the short time they've had them.
Jutta Leerdam, a Dutch speed skater who won gold and broke an Olympic record in the women's 1000m on Monday, actually captured the moment her medal broke on video.
"I'm an Olympic champion! I just wanted to share this with you guys because this is just insane," she said in a TikTok video showing off her medal. Just seconds later, there's a metal clanging sound before Leerdam exclaims, "I broke it."
"It keeps breaking. I'll fix it again," says a man off-screen.
@juttaleerdam I CAN’t BELIEVE IT!!! & SKATER AN OLYMPIC RECORD!!!
♬ origineel geluid - Jutta Leerdam
Olympic medals are breaking mid-celebration
Leerdam isn't the only Olympian dealing with this frustrating experience. U.S. skier and gold medalist Breezy Johnson actually showed her broken medal off during a press conference.
"I was jumping in excitement and it broke," she explained, showing onlookers the medal and ribbon, detached from one another. She also held up another small part that she said is supposed to go in the ribbon to keep it inside of the medal.
"It came apart," Johnson added. "I'm sure somebody will fix it. It's not crazy broken, but it's a little broken."
U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu also shared a TikTok video of her broken medal.
@frigouscigous I just got this olympic gold medal, already broke it
♬ Black Beatles - car.archives.music
And German biathlete Justus Strelow's broke on camera.
?? Bei den Feierlichkeiten der deutschen Mixedstaffel beschädigte Biathlet Justus Strelow seine Bronze-Medaille, als sie sich vom Band löste und zu Boden fiel. Sie erlitt nur einen kleinen Kratzer, doch kurz dachte er über einen Umtausch nach, wie Teamkollege Philipp Horn… pic.twitter.com/KWHMKSXXW4
— Nachrichten (@NewsFokus) February 9, 2026
Olympic officials say a fix is underway
Fortunately, the issue seems to be getting taken seriously by those in charge. According to The Guardian, they determined that there's an issue with the cord, which contains a breakaway mechanism to prevent choking.
"A solution has been identified, and a targeted fix has been put in place. Athletes whose medals have been affected are encouraged to return them through the appropriate channels so that they can be promptly repaired and returned," said spokesman Luca Cassasa.
He also added that they are "rechecking all the medals" just to make sure there are no further issues.
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