The International Olympic Committee has taken a big step by announcing that the defective medals from the 2024 Paris Olympics will be replaced with identical models. Ace India shooter Manu Bhaker has also decided that she will get his bronze medals replaced.
Bhaker opened India’s medal tally at the Paris Olympics by securing third place in the women’s individual 10m air pistol event, becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, adding another milestone to her already illustrious career. She didn’t stop there and add another medal to his tally. Bhaker, paired with Sarabjot Singh, clinched her second bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event.
The 22-year-old has confirmed that if the IOC will replace the defective medals, then she will surely like to get her replaced as well,
“Yes, I read about it today. If they are replacing, then yes, I would like to get mine also replaced,” Manu told Sportstar.
Meanwhile, the IOC has already stated that the Monnaie de Paris, who manufactured the medals, is closely working with the Paris Olympics Organising Committee on the process to replace the medals.
“The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris (the French state mint), the institution responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals, to assess any complaints about the medals and to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage,” the IOC said.
“Defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically.
“The replacement process should begin in the coming weeks.”
When contacted by AFP, a spokesperson for the Monnaie de Paris refuted the term “defective” and said that the medals signalled by athletes as being “damaged” since the month of August have already been replaced.
“We have replaced all the damaged medals since August and we will continue to do so in the same professional manner as before,” said the spokesperson, adding that replacements were “underway” and were being made “as requests come in”.
According to La Lettre, the medals “had to bear the brunt of the new products used”, as new regulations banned a component of the varnish previously employed and “had to be replaced at short notice”.
The 5,084 gold, silver and bronze medals for Paris 2024 were designed by luxury jewellery and watch firm Chaumet (part of the LVMH conglomerate) and produced by the Monnaie de Paris.
Each medal contains a small piece of the Eiffel Tower, taken from the stocks of the Parisian monument’s operating company.
