RIO DE JANEIRO -- They’re a source of pride and joy when they’re draped around the neck of an athlete who’s trained years to achieve their goal – they’re the medals of the Olympic games.
But where do the medals come from? Our 11Alive’s Blayne Alexander traveled about an hour outside of the Olympic park in Rio to the Brazilian mint where they’re made to see process from start to finish.
The process of creating a single medal takes almost a full 48 hours, involves more than 100 operators, and nearly 16 steps.
But the creation of the 5132 medals for the Olympic and Paralympic games is heavily guarded in secrecy.
“We had the whole project, the whole design, the whole material, everything here, but we can’t take pictures, or tell anyone,” said Victor Berbert, manager of metals at the Brazilian Mint.
For two years before the games, designers took the medal from the concept to the real thing.
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First in the process, artists sculpted the goddess Nike with other details. Then, operators use that sculpture to create the mold. Once the mold is created, the medal can be cast into what top Olympians will wear on the podium. Last up are the finer details – inscribing the name of every event into every medal.
Finally, the medals are packed up and shipped off to the Games, where medal creators get to see their finest work on display for all the world to see.
“It was truly amazing to do that. When we see the complete and finished on the chests of the athletes, it’s amazing, fantastic for us.”
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