Gold Medal Snapped Right After the Win... What Happened with Milan Olympics' Flimsy Medals?

First Olympic "eco-friendly medal" made from recycled metal
Ski star Breezy Johnson's medal breaks during celebration
Team USA: "The medal did not pass the jump test"

American alpine skier Bridge Johnson, who won the first gold medal for Team USA at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, experienced a mishap when her medal broke during the victory ceremony.

Johnson Bridge, who won the women's downhill alpine skiing event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, is holding up a damaged gold medal. Photo by TEAMUSA Instagram

On the 8th (local time), Johnson won the women's downhill alpine skiing event at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with a time of 1:36.10.

Although Johnson claimed the gold medal that day, she could not be entirely happy. During the race, her teammate and senior Lindsey Vonn fell and had to be airlifted to a hospital by helicopter.

On top of that, there was the unexpected mishap of the medal breaking. At the press conference after the award ceremony, Johnson explained that the ring connecting the medal body to the ribbon had broken during the celebration. Taking out the broken medal, she said, "This is the medal, this is the ribbon, and this is the ring that used to connect the two," adding, "I think it fell off because I was jumping up and down so excited."

Johnson added, "The medal was much heavier than I expected. That could be the reason." She also drew laughter when she told Emma Eicher of Germany, who won the silver medal, "Don't run with the medal around your neck."

Team USA took the situation with humor, posting a video on its official Instagram account of Johnson holding up the separated medal and writing, "Johnson's medal did not pass the jump test."

The medals at this Olympics are "eco-friendly medals," cast in facilities powered by 100% renewable energy using metal recovered from scrap, the first time in Olympic history that such recycled metal has been used. While the intention is positive, a series of breakage incidents has prompted disappointment and questions over their durability.

In fact, Eva Andersson of Sweden, who won the silver medal in the women's skiathlon cross-country event held the previous day, also experienced her medal falling and breaking. Some media outlets reported that her medal is in a condition that is difficult to repair.