New Delhi: It takes a lot to stand on the top of the podium at the Olympics and win the elusive gold medal. The best athletes from across the globe compete at the sporting extravaganza with the sole aim of bringing glory to their nation. Winning the gold medal at the Olympics is considered the pinnacle of sports and rightly so as it takes years of hard work, dedication, blood, sweat and training to reach the top.
While an Olympic gold medal remains priceless to the athlete who wins it, there is certainly a cost involved in making the medal. The worth of the medal can’t merely be determined by the metals used in making it or the cost involved considering the years of sacrifices it takes to win one. But it still makes one wonder how much gold is there in an Olympic gold medal. Is it made up entirely of gold or is it a mixture of silver and gold?
All you need to know about the Olympic gold medal
An Olympic gold medal is not completely made of gold. As per the International Olympic Council, an Olympic gold medal is made of at least 92.5% silver and is plated with approximately 6 grams of pure gold. The gold medal approximately weighs 529 grams and also consists of around 18 grams or iron apart from silver and gold.
As per Forbes, the gold medals set to be distributed at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 are priced at approximately $950 (Rs 79,500 approx), based on the market prices of gold, silver and iron. If the entire medal was made of gold, the price would have shot up to over $41,000 for each gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, the silver medal which will be awarded at the Paris Olympics weighs 525 grams and is made up of 507 grams of silver and 18 grams of iron, costing approximately $486 each. The bronze medal is 455 grams and consists of 415.15 grams of copper, 21.85 grams of zinc and 18 grams of iron approximately. A bronze medal costs approximately $13.
Indians eye record show at Paris Olympics 2024
India have sent a strong contingent of 117 athletes for the Paris Olympics 2024 and will be hoping to better their medals tally from the Tokyo Games in 2021. India recorded their best-ever show in Tokyo where they finished with a total of 7 medals, including one gold. Neeraj Chopra was India’s only gold medallist at the Tokyo Games after scripting history in the final of the men’s javelin throw.
Neeraj became the first Indian to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field athletics and only the second from the country after Abhinav Bindra to win an individual gold medal at the Games. Neeraj will be hoping to successfully defend his title in Paris this year and clinch his second straight gold medal at the Olympics. Indian athletes will also hope to put on a strong show and better their medals tally from the Tokyo Games to put on a record show in Paris.
An Olympic gold medal is priceless for the athlete winning it, but how much does it actually cost the organisers to make one? Is an Olympic gold medal made entirely of gold? Let’s find out. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
