This is what it's all about: The medals of Rio 2016

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 21, 2016 - The women are picking up theirs tonight, the men's turn to collect their gold silver and bronze medals - the ultimate sporting symbols of a lifetime's achievement - comes tomorrow, as volleyball winds down at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The medals celebrate nature and sustainability - the overall theme of these Olympic Games ever since the Opening Ceremony more than two weeks ago.



Weighing 500g each, the gold, silver and bronze medals of Rio 2016 bear a design that marks the relationship between the strengths of Olympic heroes and the forces of nature.

The volleyball players of the winning teams in Rio 2016 will receive medals made from gold that has been extracted without the use of mercury and which was produced according to strict sustainability criteria, from the initial mining all the way through to the design of the end product.

The silver and bronze medals have been produced using 30 per cent recycled materials. Half of the plastic in the ribbons used to hang the medals around athletes’ necks comes from recycled plastic bottles. The rounded cases that hold the medals were made from freijo wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).


The Rio 2016 medals come with a display case made of sustainably sourced freijo wood.

The designs feature laurel leaves – a symbol of victory in ancient Greece, in the form of the wreaths awarded to competition winners – surrounding the Rio 2016 Olympic logo. The laurel leaves represent the link between the force of nature and Olympians. According to Olympic Games tradition, the other side of the medals features an image of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory with the Panathenaic Stadium, home of the first Olympics of the modern era in 1896, with the Athens Acropolis in the background.


Front of Rio 2016 Olympic medals with laurel leaves surrounding the Games' logo.

Overall for the Rio 2016 Olympic 5,310 medals have been produced by the Brazilian mint.


Quick links - Volleyball:
Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Volleyball
Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Volleyball schedule
Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Volleyball - Teams - Men
Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Volleyball - Teams - Women
Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Volleyball - Media Guide
Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Volleyball history