Celebrate Golden Moments, Jump For Joy!

We've all heard there are moments not to cut corners.

As the 2026 Olympics prepare to close, it's a great time to continue a discussion around insuring your golden celebrations remain joyful!

Athletes train for years, devoting considerable hours each day to perfect their craft, in pursuit of Olympic gold. Medals take center stage during this high profile event, as a symbol of achievement; not a time to cut corners.

Surely you've heard about the 2026 Winter Olympic medals separating from their ribbon during the celebration. Our industry was buzzing about the design & material choices that likely contributed to failures.

After-all, our day job and reputation relies on quality deliverables.

ASI Media, asked two leading industry medal manufacturers to weigh in on this construction failure.

The article by Kiran Sheth, shared this blog reference a report from USA TODAY.

Sheth writes, USA Today reported the previous Olympic medals had loops or grommets, the 2026 Winter Olympic medals featured a groove at the top. “A metal pin resting in a loop at the bottom of the ribbon fits into the groove, securing the medal and ribbon in place,” the newspaper wrote. “But the pin has a spring mechanism, and when the medal or ribbon is pulled or jostled, it activates, and the two separate.” “The medals do not break,” said the Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute, which produced the medals, in a comment to USA TODAY. “For a limited number of medals, the anti-choking safety device activates during celebrations by opening.”

The damaged medals will be replaced, but the situation left our industry scratching our heads. Sheth's article includes two trusted industry expert perspectives.

“It appears that the manufacturer attempted to use a plastic clip of some kind to attach the medals to the neck ribbons,” says Tom Farrell, marketing director for EMT (asi/52263), which produces medals, pins and patches, among countless other product categories. “Mixing materials like this, especially when the plastic clip is playing a structural role, is a risky proposition.”

An attachment point is the load-bearing connection between the medal and the ribbon.

Nick Wright, marketing director at Simba (asi/87296), a maker of medals, rings, championship belts and other products. “With one of the highest profile events in sports, the quality control should have been more rigorous than it was. ”In promo, we’re always focused on creating emotional connections,” Farrell explains. “When it comes to medals, awards and other recognition items, that emotional connection is inherent. These are items that represent milestone achievements and sometimes significant life events. Because of that, durability isn’t just a functional requirement, it’s part of the meaning behind the item.”

A common misconception is that gold medals are made from solid gold.

“Olympic medals are typically made from another metal, like sterling silver, and then plated with gold,” Farrell says. “That’s actually similar to how most high-quality medals in the promotional space are made. Most commonly, base metals like brass, iron, or zinc alloys are used and then plated in different finishes to achieve the appropriate aesthetic and perceived value.”

Our industry works in tandem. Trusted supplier relationships provide knowledge and education to to distributors like Promotional Partner which produces a quality result. Beautiful medals, with structural integrity, insures our recipient's can jump for joy anywhere they'd like! This case study with the Apex Chamber- Run the Peak, the Town of Cary Mayor Medals capture visionary assurance, unite purpose at work for our partners. We know a thing or two about how to champion our partners!