2024-08-07 08:58:08
But why do athletes systematically bite off medals in front of cameras? Several theories exist, but the most plausible has to do with ancient methods of verifying gold’s authenticity. In the past, gold was a particularly malleable metal and people would bite it to check if it was real. If there are tooth marks on the metal, it’s probably solid gold.
Break a tooth!
However, times have changed. From 1904 to 1912, Olympic gold medals were indeed made of pure gold. But today, gold medals are plated with only 6 grams of pure gold and are made of 92.5% silver. In other words, even if you bite with all your strength, there won’t be any tooth marks left on the sesame seeds. The only risk you face is breaking your tooth.
What’s more, someone paid the price. In 2010, Vancouver Olympic silver medalist and German bobsledder David Möller accidentally broke a tooth while biting his medal. Hopefully the memory will be more of a funny anecdote than a painful experience for him today. Luckily for athletes competing in Paris 2024, the Olympic Village is equipped with free dental services to handle these minor emergencies!
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