What will the 2010 medals look like?

mr.x · #1 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 1:51 AM**

Now that the torch has been unveiled, there's only one major pre-Games unveiling left: the medal design. What do you think they'll look like?

I would think they would be unveiled sometime over the next few weeks.....the design and fabrication is by the Royal Canadian Mint, with metal provided by Teck Cominco.

http://images.google.ca/images?q=olympic...irefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
Calgary 1988

Nagano 1998

Atlanta 1996

Sydney 2000

Salt Lake 2002

Athens 2004

Torino 2006

Beijing 2008

Distill3d · #2 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 2:03 AM**

its too bad Bill Reid isn't around anymore. i think he would design some awesome medals for the games.

i believe have some sort of Haida art influence in them for sure.

Metro-One · #3 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 2:24 AM**

The only nice looking medals out of the entire bunch are Nagano's

GeeCee · #4 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 2:42 AM**

The Nagano ones are really nice.. I like the Turin ones as well. We could just reuse those, and use Tim Hortons boxes to ship them around.. they're about the right shape.

Locked In · #5 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 4:36 AM**

Thanks for posting mr.x2. Here are a couple more, both from www.olympic.org:

Albertville '92:

Lillehammer '94:

Distill3d · #6 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 5:56 AM**

i like the Salt Lake City ones the most. probably because they don't look perfect. they're not an actual circle which gives them more character.

that said, as an ex-Calgaryian, i'm very much partial to the 1988 medals.

touraccuracy · #7 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 8:18 AM**

^hmm, i find the calgary and salt lake ones to be the ugliest. to each their own i guess.

i like albertville, turin, and nagano.

Cypherus · #8 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 9:07 AM**

Nagano wins my vote too. The Calgary medals were awful.

NetMapel · #9 Posted **Feb 14, 2009, 7:27 PM**

Don't worry. It'll be dedicated to the First Nations front and back

metroXpress · #10 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 3:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cypherus

The Calgary medals were awful.

Oh..come on...that was so long ago. People probably didn't care much
about the medals at that time.

Anyways, we will know them soon.

seatosky · #11 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 5:18 AM**

Beijing and Athens medals are basically identical. Any specific reason behind that? Personally they are my favourites.

mr.x · #12 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 6:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by seatosky

Beijing and Athens medals are basically identical. Any specific reason behind that? Personally they are my favourites.

It actually has to do with tradition.

For the Summer Games, since the 1928 Amsterdam Games one side of the Summer Games medals has the standard/IOC design that is used at each Games (below) while the other side is designed by the organizing committee. The Amsterdam design portrays the goddess of victory, Nike, and it was chosen by competition by the IOC.

Sydney medals. Left: IOC 1928 tradition design; Right: Sydney OCOG

Atlanta (same description as Sydney's)

Barcelona (same...)

HOWEVER, in 2004 to commemorate the return of the Olympics to their home the IOC changed the standard IOC medal tradition design side of the Summer Games medals:

Athens 2004 medal: Left, new IOC tradition design. Right, ATHOC design.

Beijing 2008 medal: Left, new IOC tradition design. Right, BOCOG design.

The new medal design reflects on the Greek character of the Games as regards both their origin and their revival. On the medals awarded to Olympic athletes from 1928 until the Sydney Games, goddess Nike was seated, holding an ear of corn in one hand and a wreath in the other. Here, she flies into the stadium bringing victory to the best athlete. The Athens organizing committee chose to show the Panathenic stadium, where the Games were first renewed in 1896.

London will follow the same tradition.

As with the Winter Games, there is no tradition with the design of the medals. The Winter Games OCOG's design the medals entirely with their own original designs.

nova9 · #13 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 6:49 AM**

Given how awesome our coins are, I am sure the Mint will come up with something great. But I'd like to see a subtle maple leaf overlay with a thin (read...THIN) coast salish design in the margins.

How about this though. Instead of a first nations design incorporated into the medal, I'd like to see if more on the ribbon/necklace part. Perhaps it could be traditionally woven from cedar bark (in a way that makes sense of course). What do people think?

Distill3d · #14 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 8:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nova9

How about this though. Instead of a first nations design incorporated into the medal, I'd like to see if more on the ribbon/necklace part. Perhaps it could be traditionally woven from cedar bark (in a way that makes sense of course). What do people think?

interesting concept. i wouldn't disagree. i think as long as we don't put an Orca on our medals, we'll be fine.

cornholio · #15 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 9:23 AM**

I like the Turin ones, nice and simple.

I also agree that a west coast native theme would be the way to go, it would make them unique and have a positive effect on the native people of our province.

mr.x · #16 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 9:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nova9

Given how awesome our coins are, I am sure the Mint will come up with something great. But I'd like to see a subtle maple leaf overlay with a thin (read...THIN) coast salish design in the margins.

How about this though. Instead of a first nations design incorporated into the medal, I'd like to see if more on the ribbon/necklace part. Perhaps it could be traditionally woven from cedar bark (in a way that makes sense of course). What do people think?

The ribbon will likely be a band of VANOC's official "Look of the Games", the green/blue/white, with "Vancouver 2010 [and olympic rings]" printed along it. That's what previous OCOG's have done for the medals.

As for the actual medal, I'd like to have a First Nations design on one side and a modern design on the other with the 2010 Olympic logo. Having the entire medal being a First Nations design seems to be overkill, there's more to B.C. than just them.

I wonder what the shape of the medal will be though, considering how VANOC's brand consists of lots of rocks and non-circular objects.

Anyhow, I thought it was interesting to see how much of an improvement the Albertville medals were over Calgary....within just 4 years.

My favourites would have to be Beijing, SLC, and Nagano.

wrenegade · #17 Posted **Feb 16, 2009, 6:05 PM**

As long as there isn't a hole in it I'll be happy.

edt: This is one area where I think haidi or other native art could look pretty damn wicked. I do hope they try and stick with a regular round shape though.

mr.x · #18 Posted **May 31, 2009, 4:34 PM**

This is the last thing to be unveiled in terms of design for the 2010 Games....almost 7 months until the Games, and we haven't seen them yet! Most other organizing committees unveil their medals at least a year before their Games. I wonder when VANOC plans to do the unveiling.

sacrifice333 · #19 Posted **May 31, 2009, 4:53 PM**

Well the big June 'event' is the final ticket release on June 6th. So maybe they'll plan to release the medal design in July or August?

Pinion · #20 Posted **May 31, 2009, 4:56 PM**

Anything that looks good seems like a long shot with Vancouver's design history.

But I do agree this is the one thing where native art would look good.

A metallic version of this would be nice

(pe.ca)