Shocking state of Olympic medal: Swimmer jokes it’s from ‘Paris 1924’

Olympians Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, who won bronze in Paris in 2024, shared pictures showing the current conditions of their medals.

The Paris 2024 Olympics, while showcasing remarkable athletic achievements, were also marked by several controversies that sparked global debate. From the scene during the opening ceremony tableau, where an act by drag queens and dancers made some connect the moment with Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper about Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles to the country’s citizens raising environmental concerns, the event was surrounded by controversies even before it started back in July. Although this global event has come to an end, the controversies surrounding it continue to linger, with the latest one involving two French swimmers. Taking to social media, they alleged that the bronze medals they received from their performance were turning mouldy with black spots just a few months after the Olympics.

Yohann Ndoye-Brouard’s bronze medal from the Paris Olympics 2024. (X/@yohann_2911)

It all started with a post by Clement Secchi. Taking to Instagram stories, he shared a photo of his deteriorating medal. His photo ended up on X with an individual joking, “Not Clement Secchi's bronze medal that is flaking.”

The other Olympian swimmer, Yohann Ndoye-Brouard, responded to the post with his own photos. His photos showed medals in similar conditions. He wrote “Paris 1924” with his photos. Among the several times that the country hosted the Olympics, it also did so during the 1924 Summer Olympics. Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard won bronze in the men's 4x100-meter medley relay.

Check out the X post here:

Reportedly, issues about the quality of the medals were also raised by other athletes from different countries. American Nyjah Huston shared his experience, “These medals look great when they're brand new. But after wearing it and sweating a little or letting my friends wear it over the weekend, it's clearly not as good quality as you might think,” he said.

Reportedly, it has been observed that this issue mostly affects bronze medalists. The organising committee has faced backlash over these occurrences. The organisers promised to replace Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard’s medals with new ones.