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Originally posted by OTW
So they gave out the first medals this morning.
I'm sorry, when I look at the different venues, how beautiful the opening ceremonies were...just the grand-ness of this year's host city...
WTF were they thinking when they decided to make the medals look like Compact Discs?
To the Olympic champion, we award you this gold CD.... 
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Quoth the IOC :
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The medals - gold, silver, and bronze - represent the highest levels of athletic achievement at the Games. The design of the medal varies with each Olympic Games and they are the responsibility of the host city's organizing committee. Olympic medals must be at least 60 millimeters in diameter and at least three millimeters thick. Gold and silver medals must be made of 92.5 percent pure silver; the gold medal must be gilded with at least six grams of gold.
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(source:
http://www.olympics.org.uk/olympicmo...icmovement.asp)
The Summer Olympics medals have largely been standardized in design since 1928, with the reverse of the medal reserved for the logo of the host city organizing committee, while the Winter Olympics medals are unique to each Olympiad.
Here's a pic of the Torino (Turin) Olympic medals:
Significance of the Torino Medals
Athletes placing in fourth through seventh place receive a certificate (the medalists receive both the medal and certificate); each athlete and official also receives a commemorative participation medal as well.