Produced by the Brazilian Mint, the 5,130 medals for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be symbols of sustainability and accessibility as well as sporting excellence. The coveted prizes, which weigh 500g each, comprise 30 per cent recycled silver and bronze while the ribbons are made from 50 per cent recycled PET. Meanwhile, the gold medals are completely free of mercury.

The gold medals are purer than ever, meeting sustainability criteria from extraction to refining, as well as meeting strict environmental and labour laws. They make use of recycled raw silver at 92.5 per cent purity, coming from leftover mirrors, waste solders and X-ray plates. And 40 per cent of the copper used in the bronze medals came from waste at the Mint itself. The substance was melted and decontaminated to provide material for the medals.

"Today starts the final countdown for the first Games in South America," said Thomas Bach, IOC president. Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 Committee, added: "The medals are one of the biggest symbols of the Games and they are the most beautiful in the world."

The Olympic medal design includes the traditional laurel leaf while the Paralympic prizes feature engravings representing the "seeds of courage, persistence and development of the athletes." As is tradition, the reverse side of the medal displays an etching of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

To read the complete article, see:
INNOVATIVE MEDAL DESIGN UNVEILED FOR RIO 2016 (www.olympic.org/news/innovative-medal-design-unveiled-for-rio-2016)

Nearly 2,500 gold, silver and bronze medals produced according to strict sustainability criteria

A total of 2,488 medals have been produced: 812 gold, 812 silver and 864 bronze.

For the first time, the medals are slightly thicker at their central point compared with their edges. The name of the event for which the medal was won is engraved by laser along the outside edge.

The designs feature laurel leaves - a symbol of victory in ancient Greece, in the form of the wreaths awarded to competition winners - surrounding the Rio 2016 Olympic logo. The laurel leaves represent the link between the force of nature and Olympians.

According to Olympic Games tradition, the other side of the medals features an image of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory with the Panathinaiko Stadium and the Acropolis in the background.

The Paralympic Games medals, which feature a special innovation, have also been revealed. They have a tiny device inside which makes a noise when the medal is shaken, allowing visually impaired athletes to know if they are gold, silver or bronze (gold has the loudest noise, bronze the quietest).

To read the complete article, see: Rio 2016 reveals Olympic medals, celebrating nature and sustainability (www.rio2016.com/en/news/rio-2016-reveals-olympic-medals-celebrating-nature-and-sustainability)