London 2012 Olympics: medal designs unveiled

By Jacquelin Magnay, and Thore Haugstad

The highly anticipated medals were presented by Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal and London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, with International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge and Coordination Commission chairman Denis Oswald also attending.

They will recognise the “incredible achievement” of outstanding athletes at the London Olympics, with more than 2,100 copies set to be made for 302 victory ceremonies that will stretch over 16 historic days of competition next year.

The medals, designed by British artist David Watkins, depict Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory, stepping out of the Parthenon to arrive in the host city. The front side also shows a bowl resembling an amphitheatre, with the medal's overall circular shape a symbol of the world.

The back side contains a portrayal of the River Thames to reflect London, and a square to break up the medal's circular design and “emphasise its focus on the centre”.

Beneath the London 2012 logo is also a grid to add "a sense of outreach on the design – an image of radiating energy that represents the athletes’ achievement and effort”.

Coe said: “I hope that seeing the design of the London 2012 Olympic medals will be a source of inspiration for the thousands of athletes around the world who are counting down the year before they compete at the greatest show on earth.

“All of our preparations are focused on ensuring the athletes are at the heart of the Games, and I believe that through this rigorous process the panel of experts have selected an artist and a design for medals that all athletes would be proud to own.”

The medals will be made at the Royal Mint Headquarters in Llantrisant, South Wales, with the relevant sport and discipline as well as the athletes’ names engraved in the rim.

A generous outlay of material has been made, with the medals bigger, heavier and thicker than those of Beijing 2008. They weigh 375-400g, well over Beijing’s medals at 200g, and the Barcelona 1992 medals at 231g – the heaviest medals to be awarded to date.

The medals are so thick, the uniform designers of Team GB have had to make some last minute changes.

The pockets of the athletes' formal suits have been adjusted to accommodate the medals' 85mm diameter, 375 -400 gram weight and 7mm thick.

But the London 2012 Olympic medals aren't the biggest, nor the heaviest. The Vancouver Winter Olympic medals were double the weight and slightly bigger.

Designer David Watkins - who was the special effects maker of 2001: A Space Odyssey, said he was delighted when his proposition was selected from six shortlisted designs.

"I knew it was a take it and love it design. If not -sorry. There was no plan B," said Watkins.

What the medals are made of
The gold medal:
- 92.5 per cent silver, 1.34 per cent gold and the rest copper (a minimum of 6g of gold).
The silver medal:
- 92.5 per cent silver and the rest copper.
The bronze medal:
- 97.0 per cent copper, 2.5 per cent zinc and 0.5 per cent tin. Telegraph