Manu Bhaker’s bronze medals at the Paris Olympic Games 2024 are likely to be replaced by identical models. She is part of the large group of athletes complaining of their medals deteriorating.
The colour of Manu’s medals has reportedly ‘come off’ and they ‘have been in that state’ for a while now. The damaged medals will be replaced by Monnaie de Paris (the French state mint) and engraved in an identical way to the originals, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.
The Paris Olympics organising committee is working with the Monnaie de Paris and the defective medals are likely to be replaced in the coming weeks.
There were 5,084 gold, silver and bronze medals for the Paris Olympics. The medals were designed by luxury jewellery and watch firm Chaumet (part of the LVMH conglomerate) and produced by the Monnaie de Paris.
Notably, several other athletes had also confirmed the same. The French mint had said that the Monnaie de Paris has taken the issue very seriously. “The Monnaie de Paris has taken the issue of damaged medals very seriously since the first exchange requests in August, and has mobilized its internal teams,” the French mint said.
“Since then, the company has modified and optimized its relative varnishing process. The Monnaie de Paris will replace all damaged medals at the athletes’ request during the first quarter of 2025.”
The International Olympic Committee also said that the medals will be replaced. “Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved in an identical way to the originals,” the IOC said.
Notably, Manu won two bronze medals in shooting at the Paris Games. She bagged a third-place finish in the women’s 10m air pistol to open India’s account at the Summer Games. She combined with Sarabjot Singh to clinch another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Manu had become the first Indian after Independence to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics. Overall, she is the second Indian after Norman Pritchard to win two medals in a single edition of the Games. Pritchard had won two silver medals in the 200-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash in the 1900 Games.
