Article by Luminița Paul – Published on Friday, 05 December 2025 21:11 / Updated on Friday, 05 December 2025 21:27
The gold medals that will reward the Olympic champions at the Milan Cortina 2026 (February 6-22) will contain the equivalent of $800, following this year's rise in the precious metal.
For an Olympic athlete, the glitter of a medal is something hard to treasure, it is the reward of many years of work, pain and sacrifice. But once with the recent wave of increases in the prices of gold and other precious metalsthese coveted symbols of success now have a significantly higher monetary value than in the past.
As the world prepares for next year's Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Italian mint IPZS has begun producing medals that will now have a financial value of up to twice that earned at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Medals are tangible rewards for intangible efforts,” IPZS executive director Michele Sciscioli told Reuters.
Until 1912, gold medals were made of solid gold. Since then, however, according to the official guidelines of the International Olympic Committee, they are made of silver and coated with six grams of pure gold – a combination known as silver gilt.
The gold medals contain the equivalent of $800
At current prices, the gold medals that will adorn the necks of the 2026 champions will each contain just over $800 in gold.
The gold medal from the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, more expensive than the one from Paris 2024 Photo: Imago Images
Silver medals are mainly made of sterling silver, and bronze medals, since the last Olympics in Paris, are made of pure copper with a very low metal value.
Gold has rallied throughout the year, hitting a record high on Oct. 20, according to Reuters data. Similarly, silver hit record highs in early October, the white metal is up over 100% this year.
IPZS will produce a total of 1,146 of medals for the Olympic Games, which will take place from February 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. They will be 245 of gold, silver and bronze medals. At the Paralympic Games, which will take place next month, they will be awarded 137 of medals for each of the three categories.
Unveiled for the first time in Venice in July, the medals have a very simple design and are 'ice discs' made up of two halves joined by the Olympic and Paralympic symbols in the middle.
The production of medals has already started
Matteo Taglienti, manager of the IPZS medal program, told Reuters on Friday that the collaboration with the IOC and local organizers, the Milano Cortina Foundation, began a year ago, and the production started in the last months.
The two halves represent the individual athlete and the network behind his success, consisting of family, team and coaches. They also have two different textures, one matte and one polished. Paralympic medals include Braille inscriptions on the back to identify the discipline.
All will have a special newly designed slot that will hide the ribbon without covering the face of the medal.
