Paris Medals Lose Sheen, IOC Says Will Replace Them

It's a result of our hard work. I've spoken to someone to bring it to the knowledge of IOA so that something can be done. Sarabjot Singh, shooter

- Avishek Roy

NEW DELHI: A week into winning her first Olympics bronze in Paris, Manu Bhaker was surprised to see the shine of her Olympic medal wearing off—literally. Within a few days, the color of her second Olympic bronze medal also began to dull.

Not only Manu—she became the first Indian to win two medals in one Olympics since independence—fellow shooters Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh were also pained to see the most coveted prize of their sporting career lose its lustre.

The poor quality of medals awarded at the Paris Olympics have been blamed, with complaints pouring in from medallists around the world. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has told AFP that the "defective medals" will be replaced.

"The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris (the French state mint), the institution responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals, to assess any complaints about the medals and to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage," it quoted IOC as saying. "Defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically."