Wednesday, September 17, 2025
  • Who’sWho Africa AWARDS
  • About Time Africa Magazine
  • Contact Us
Time Africa Magazine
  • Home
  • Magazine
  • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
  • News
  • World News
    • US
    • UAE
    • Europe
    • UK
    • Israel-Hamas
    • Russia-Ukraine
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Column
  • Interviews
  • Special Report
No Result
View All Result
Time Africa Magazine
  • Home
  • Magazine
  • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
  • News
  • World News
    • US
    • UAE
    • Europe
    • UK
    • Israel-Hamas
    • Russia-Ukraine
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Column
  • Interviews
  • Special Report
No Result
View All Result
Time Africa Magazine
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
  • News
  • Magazine
  • World News

Home » Sports » Why do Olympic athletes bite their gold medals?

Why do Olympic athletes bite their gold medals?

It’s a common sight at gold medal ceremonies – but where does the tradition come from?

July 31, 2024
in Sports
0
544
SHARES
4.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

With the Paris 2024 Olympics in full swing, one sight is increasingly common among the post-event celebrations: athletes biting their medals.

These Olympics have already seen a number of thrills, with Simone Biles making a triumphant return to the gymnastics arena, teenage star Summer McIntosh winning her first Olympic gold in the pool and Tom Daley adding to his remarkable diving legacy with synchro silver.

The medal ceremonies that follow those dramatic moments on the field of play is when the sense of achievement really starts to sink in. And, time and time again, we see athletes biting their gold, silver and bronze medals.

It’s a practice as common and ingrained in the Olympics as some of the sports themselves – but why do they do it?

ReadAlso

No Content Available

Why do athletes bite their gold medals?

Back in the day, one of the ways to determine whether the shiny metal in your hand was gold was to bite into it, as gold is softer and more malleable than other metals. Basically, if you took a bite into it and you could see your teeth mark, there’s a good chance it was authentic and actually gold.

ADVERTISEMENT

That’s largely irrelevant these days, especially in the context of the Olympics, but the tradition has endured. Of course, the gold medals awarded at the Olympics aren’t actually solid gold – it’s more of a compound of around 90 per cent silver, and at least six grams of the valuable stuff. Every medal in Paris contains a tiny piece of the Eiffel Tower, which is made of wrought-iron.

And, partly because of the tradition, when athletes receive their gold medals photographers ask them to take a bite and hold the pose, as it creates the iconic image we’ve become accustomed to.

Source: Independent
Tags: Paris 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Israel says it killed Hezbollah leader in Beirut strike after attack on Golan Heights

Next Post

Iran vows ‘severe punishment’ for Israel over Hamas assassination

You MayAlso Like

Sports

Aston Villa have fallen into mediocrity but Everton draw provides slim hope of a revival

September 14, 2025
Sports

How Noni Madueke silenced the noise to reveal Arsenal’s bold new era

September 14, 2025
Sports

Goodbye, Andre Onana – the face of Manchester United’s worst era

September 12, 2025
Sports

Manchester City reach settlement over legal challenge with Premier League

September 8, 2025
Sports

Tinubu Declares 9th National Youth Games Open In Asaba, Pledges Stronger Sports Development

August 30, 2025
Sports

The haunting Ruben Amorim image that sums up Manchester United’s deep-rooted decay

August 28, 2025
Next Post

Iran vows ‘severe punishment’ for Israel over Hamas assassination

Peace And Stability: The Bedrock Of Our Economic Recovery And Driver For Good Governance | By Senator George Akume

Discussion about this post

How Gen Z Protestors Chose Nepal’s First Woman Prime Minister On Discord

Air Peace Pilots Test Positive for Alcohol, Cannabis After Port Harcourt Runway Overshoot

‘We Got Him’: FBI Confirms Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Has Been Caught

‘TRIANGLE OF SHAME’: Niger Where Girls Are Still Bought Cheaply As ‘Wahaya’

Africa Network for Accountability Recognizes Uchenna Okafor for Transparent Leadership

The viral pregnancy hoax that shocked the internet wasn’t real

  • British government apologizes to Peter Obi, as hired impostors, master manipulators on rampage abroad

    1241 shares
    Share 496 Tweet 310
  • Maids trafficked and sold to wealthy Saudis on black market

    1066 shares
    Share 426 Tweet 267
  • Flight Attendant Sees Late Husband On Plane

    972 shares
    Share 389 Tweet 243
  • ‘Céline Dion Dead 2023’: Singer killed By Internet Death Hoax

    904 shares
    Share 361 Tweet 226
  • Crisis echoes, fears grow in Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu State

    735 shares
    Share 294 Tweet 184
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

British government apologizes to Peter Obi, as hired impostors, master manipulators on rampage abroad

April 13, 2023

Maids trafficked and sold to wealthy Saudis on black market

December 27, 2022
Flight Attendant Sees Late Husband On Plane

Flight Attendant Sees Late Husband On Plane

September 22, 2023
‘Céline Dion Dead 2023’: Singer killed By Internet Death Hoax

‘Céline Dion Dead 2023’: Singer killed By Internet Death Hoax

March 21, 2023
Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu, wife of Willie Obiano, former governor of Anambra state

NIGERIA: No, wife of Biafran warlord, Bianca Ojukwu lied – Ebele Obiano:

0

SOUTH AFRICA: TO LEAVE OR NOT TO LEAVE?

0
kelechi iheanacho

TOP SCORER: IHEANACHA

0
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

WHAT CAN’TBE TAKEN AWAY FROM JONATHAN

0

The viral pregnancy hoax that shocked the internet wasn’t real

September 14, 2025
Two teenagers were sentenced to 12 years of hard labour in the gulag for watching banned South Korean TVCredit: BBC

North Korea executing more people for watching foreign movies

September 14, 2025

Aston Villa have fallen into mediocrity but Everton draw provides slim hope of a revival

September 14, 2025

How Noni Madueke silenced the noise to reveal Arsenal’s bold new era

September 14, 2025

ABOUT US

Time Africa Magazine

TIME AFRICA MAGAZINE is an African Magazine with a culture of excellence; a magazine without peer. Nearly a third of its readers hold advanced degrees and include novelists, … READ MORE >>

SECTIONS

  • Aviation
  • Column
  • Crime
  • Europe
  • Featured
  • Gallery
  • Health
  • Interviews
  • Israel-Hamas
  • Lifestyle
  • Magazine
  • Middle-East
  • News
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • Russia-Ukraine
  • Science
  • Special Report
  • Sports
  • TV/Radio
  • UAE
  • UK
  • US
  • World News

Useful Links

  • AllAfrica
  • Channel Africa
  • El Khabar
  • The Guardian
  • Cairo Live
  • Le Republicain
  • Magazine: 9771144975608
  • Subscribe to TIME AFRICA biweekly news magazine

    Enjoy handpicked stories from around African continent,
    delivered anywhere in the world

    Subscribe

    • About Time Africa Magazine
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • WHO’SWHO AWARDS

    © 2025 Time Africa Magazine - All Right Reserved. Time Africa is a trademark of Times Associates, registered in the U.S, & Nigeria. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
    • Politics
    • Column
    • Interviews
    • Gallery
    • Lifestyle
    • Special Report
    • Sports
    • TV/Radio
    • Aviation
    • Health
    • Science
    • World News

    © 2025 Time Africa Magazine - All Right Reserved. Time Africa is a trademark of Times Associates, registered in the U.S, & Nigeria. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.