Vancouver unveils Olympic and Paralympic medals

Overall Olympic medal design

Today, VANOC and Vancouver 2010 Official Supporters — the Royal Canadian Mint and Teck Resources Limited — unveiled the Olympic and Paralympic medals that will decorate the gold, silver and bronze medallists of the 2010 Winter Games.

Their undulating forms evoke British Columbia’s mountains, ocean and snow. Their faces are drawn from West Coast First Nations artwork depicting the orca and raven. Each is unique. And their substantial size gives them a significant presence. Meet the medals of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The word athlete is derived from the Greek word for prize-seeker. Looking at recent Games medals, it’s certain that athletic prizes have certainly evolved since the ancient Greek games in Olympia, where a wreath of olives was the only reward.

The hope is that these medals will be shared with children, families and the watching world. It symbolizes a life’s accomplishment and a dream come true, forever.

Canadian Veronica Brenner, 2002 Olympic silver medallist in aerials: “The great part about the medals is it’s something that reminds you for the rest of your life of the journey. Every single medal and every athlete have their own story about what they had to put into it and how they got there. A medal should be shared. I know I wasn’t alone in winning this medal. When I was standing up on the podium the last person I was thinking of was myself.”

You can read more HERE.