16 Little-Known Secrets Behind Olympic Medals

Medals have wildly different perks in different nations

Any South Korean athlete who wins an Olympic medal, for example, becomes exempt from the country’s mandatory two-year military service for males aged 18 to 35.

Gold medals can still be valuable though

Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko auctioned his gold medal for a children’s charity in 1996. A buyer purchased it for $1 million—then immediately returned the medal out of respect to Klitschko and his family.

The strangest material to become an Olympic medal?

Probably a meteorite. Ten gold medals in the 2014 Sochi Games contained pieces of the massive meteor that exploded over Russia in February, 2013.

Ireland’s first Olympic medal was for painting

Jack Butler Yeats—brother of poet W.B. Yeats—won a silver medal for his oil canvas, The Liffy Swim, in 1924. He was vanquished by a Luxembourgian artist who submitted two paintings of rugby, which hardly seems fair.

Gold, silver, and bronze have a hidden meaning

Gold, silver, and bronze medals represent three of the five Ages of Man in Greek mythology. The Golden Age was a time when man and gods lived in harmony. The Silver Age saw man stray from piety, and the Bronze Age marks a period of war and violence. Supposedly we’re in the Iron Age now, but that’s all Greek to me.

For 76 years, Olympic medals were emblazoned with a big error

Beginning in 1928, the front of every gold, silver, and bronze medal showed an image of the Roman Colosseum, despite the Olympic games’ Greek roots. This blunder was finally called to attention in 2004, when it was replaced with Athens' Panathenaic Stadium.

The Rio 2016 medals will have unusual origins

Per the Games’ official website, “About 30 percent of the silver used in the new medals will be recycled waste from leftover mirrors, solder and X-ray plates. Bronze medals will be made with copper waste from the national mint.” Even the ribbons holding the medals will be woven with recycled plastic from old bottles.

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World Cup final pitch invasion: Pussy Riot claim responsibility for interruption

France were 2-1 up in the 52nd minute when the pitch was invaded by three people in suits. Dejan Lovren approached one before security caught up with them and ejected them. Pussy Riot, a Russian feminist protest punk rock group based in Moscow, have claimed responsibility for the invasion. They wrote on Facebook: "Zip closure! Right now, there are four members of the band in the World Cup final: "Millicioner comes into play" on the World Championship field!" The game resumed shortly after before Paul Pogba struck to make it 3-1 before Mbappe added a fourth. Antoine Griezmann's penalty and Mario Mandzukic headed into his own net in between Ivan Perisic's thunderbolt. Mandzukic pulled another back after a Hugo Lloris mistake but France won 4-2 to win their second ever World Cup. However the game was marred by the pitch invasion, and Pussy Riot have made a list of demands.

Red star - Arsenal

H ow about this for a test of Arsenal’s “cojones”? Stepping into the furnace of one of Europe’s most intimidating venues, with a collection of kids and first-team misfits, they emerged with three of the most satisfying points to provide the strongest answer to the criticism that has poured down on them since their pitiful defeat at Watford. In many ways, winning in this manner will taste sweeter than if they had cruised to a three-goal victory. Arsenal had something to prove tonight: they had to dig deep, to show their mettle. They duly did just that, eventually claiming all three points through a stunning overhead kick from Olivier Giroud. Jack Wilshere said Watford captain Troy Deeney was wrong to question Arsenal’s character in the aftermath of their meltdown at Vicarage Road. Deeney was not the first to do so, and will not be the last, but here was a statement of intent from Wenger’s side that will surely restore some much-needed faith across the club. And what a v

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