Olympic and Paralympic medals must comply with some guidelines established by the IOC and IPC.
Iran NPC, Tehran: The medals for every Games are unique, but they must
comply with some guidelines established by the IOC and IPC:
- The diameter must be between 70 and 120mm
- It must weigh between 500 and 800 grams
- First and second-place medals are made of silver with a
minimum grade of 925/1000. The first-place medal is gilded with at least 6g of
fine gold.
- The discipline or sport concerned must be indicated
- The emblem of the organizing committee must appear
Nevertheless, there are a few differences between Olympic and Paralympic medals.
The Olympic medal can be recognized
by its distinctive obverse:
-The goddess Athena Nike is emerging
from the Panathenaic stadium, to symbolize the extra-sporting dimension of a
Games victory.
-The Olympic rings and the full names
of the edition must appear.
-The other side is left to the
creativity of the Organizing Committee, which can represent the visual identity
of the edition or the cultural elements of the host country.
On the Paralympic medal, the design
of both sides remains freer, with lighter specifications.
Each organizing
committee can thus express its creativity and affix the symbols they wish to
the medals.
Certain elements remain required,
such as the Agitos, but also tactile elements on the medal for athletes with
visual impairments, indicating the name of the host city and the year in
Braille.