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Al-Ahram Weekly
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Milan-Cortina Olympic medals unveiled - Omni sports
Organisers of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics unveiled the medals for the Winter sports spectacular on Tuesday, designed to pay hommage to athletes and the team behind them. "We conceived a medal that represents purity and a return to essence," explained Raffaella Panie, the organising committee's brand director. "We celebrate the strength found in difference: two unique halves that join through the Olympic and Paralympic symbols to deliver a bold and unified message. "This concept is also reflected in the surfaces of the medals, where two textures meet and begin a story written not only by the athletes and Para athletes, but also by those who supported them: coaches, teammates, family members, and fans." Federica Pellegrini, Italy's 200m freestyle swimming champion at the 2008 Beijing Games, was chosen to front the presentation in Venice. The medals, 1,146 for both the Olympics and Paralympics, are 80mm in diameter and 10mm thick, with the gold medals weighing in at 500 grammes. They were designed by the Italian national mint, the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato. The 2026 Games will run from February 6-22, with the Paralympics taking place between March 6-15. At last year's Paris Olympics over 200 medals became discoloured due to oxidisation, with the French mint (Monnaie de Paris) promising to replace them. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Milan-Cortina Olympic medals unveiled
Organisers of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics unveiled the medals for the Winter sports spectacular on Tuesday, designed to pay hommage to athletes and the team behind them. "We conceived a medal that represents purity and a return to essence," explained Raffaella Panie, the organising committee's brand director. Advertisement "We celebrate the strength found in difference: two unique halves that join through the Olympic and Paralympic symbols to deliver a bold and unified message. "This concept is also reflected in the surfaces of the medals, where two textures meet and begin a story written not only by the athletes and Para athletes, but also by those who supported them: coaches, teammates, family members, and fans." Federica Pellegrini, Italy's 200m freestyle swimming champion at the 2008 Beijing Games, was chosen to front the presentation in Venice. The medals, 1,146 for both the Olympics and Paralympics, are 80mm in diameter and 10mm thick, with the gold medals weighing in at 500 grammes. Advertisement They were designed by the Italian national mint, the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato. The 2026 Games will run from February 6-22, with the Paralympics taking place between March 6-15. At last year's Paris Olympics over 200 medals became discoloured due to oxidisation, with the French mint (Monnaie de Paris) promising to replace them. jr/alh/nr/nf
Euronews
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Bal des Pompiers: Is this France's hottest Bastille Day party?
Bal des Pompiers or the Fireman's Ball has become a fixed event in the calendar of many single women in Paris and beyond. Whilst the event is well known in France, as videos have circulated on social media over the past few years of topless, muscular firemen dancing on bars and pouring shots, it's begun to attract international attention, and mine. As the countdown continues to this year's fireworks, Euronews Culture takes a look into the history of the party and asks if it's really worth the hype? The Fireman's Ball across France While many of the videos online depict wild, drunken parties in fire stations across Paris, the event is actually celebrated across the entirety of France and attracts a diverse crowd. A post shared by 🦁 Lyon Expériences 🍰🪩 (@lyonexperiences) The very first Fireman's Ball is believed to have taken place in 1937 when revellers from France's Bastille Day parade followed firefighters back to a station in Montmartre, Paris to continue the festivities. After the success of the event, the idea spread within Paris and eventually across the whole of France, with balls still taking place annually around Bastille Day (14 July). In Paris, this year's events are mainly taking place on Sunday 13 July, with just a few events, in the 6th and 18th arrondissement, opting for Saturday 12 July. Outside the capital, the scene is patchy with many events cancelled due to the soaring temperatures. Although most balls start around 9pm (some begin earlier from 6:30pm), it's worth arriving one hour early as some of the most popular locations have big queues. Don't worry if it takes a while to get in as the parties continue through the night until 4am. A post shared by Tristan Tertereau (@tristan_agentimmobilier75) What to expect at Bal des Pompiers Bal des Pompiers parties are free events but it is recommended to give a donation upon arrival. The event's origins are in Paris, home to one of the largest fire brigades in Europe and are often used as a way to fundraise for local fire stations. The vast majority of the balls take place in the fire stations themselves (casernes) but some districts hire nearby event spaces - some particularly extraordinary Paris events have previously hired Roman arenas, old mansions or elaborate courtyards. 28-year-old Coline attended the Fireman's Ball at the Monnaie de Paris (France's Mint) in 2023. (Unfortunately, the Monnaie de Paris is not hosting an event this year but there are over 40 different balls to choose from across Ile-de-France.) 'You'll likely be dazzled by the beauty of the place and the firefighters' dedication to making it even more magical: several bars, lights everywhere, a stage with a DJ,' she told Euronews Culture. 'The firefighters are super welcoming and are clearly there to party and have the best night of the year! You'll find them at the bar, ready to serve you glasses of champagne, beer, wine, and soft drinks,' Coline added. A post shared by life with inés (@inesxrodriguez) 'However, after a certain hour, probably midnight, the crowd changes, and the experience is less pleasant: big crowds and everyone is very drunk,' she explained, adding that, for her, it signals that it's time to leave. Across the country in Lyon, a reveller named Estelle was less impressed by the event. 'It's firemen stripping off their clothes, gliding down poles - they had clearly rehearsed their choreography - it's kind of fun but also a bit tacky,' she told Euronews Culture. This comes as no surprise as it's exactly the vibe presented by the viral Instagram videos. The Bastille-Day-Magic-Mike ambience is exactly what draws many women to the parties year after year. A post shared by Paris Secret (@parissecret) Estelle went on to tell Euronews Culture that at the event she attended in the Perrache area of Lyon there were lots of teenagers, under the age of 18, attracted to the event because there was no one checking IDs to enter the party. Meanwhile, in smaller communities, the date is used as much more of a community party, rather than a single ladies soirée. In Saint-Nicholas-de-Port, near Nancy in eastern France, the local fire station is advertising an evening of karaoke and charcuterie boards until 22:30pm. Balaruc-les-Bains on the south coast has a set dinner menu, fireworks and DJs until 1am. In Peyrat-le-Chateau in Haut-Vienne, firemen are hosting the refreshments at the Bastille Day events on 14 July which include a night market, inflatables and live music. So if you like your firemen fully clothed and a more relaxed affair, perhaps heading outside of the major cities is the best way to celebrate Bal de Pompiers this year.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
IOC finally to repair Nyjah Huston's Paris skateboarding medal: What actually went wrong?
Image composite: Instagram, X Olympic skateboarder Nyjah Huston will soon have his prized Paris 2024 bronze medal restored, following a widespread issue that has affected more than a hundred athletes across various sports. In an exclusive update to TMZ Sports on May 26, 2025, Huston confirmed that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken possession of his damaged medal for repairs, rather than replacing it entirely, a move the athlete welcomed, saying he preferred to keep the original. 'I think it's actually a lot cooler than just replacing it,' Huston said, 'because I would still like to have my original medal.' The damage to Huston's medal, won during the men's street skateboarding competition on July 29, 2024, first became public in August 2024 when he posted a video showing visible peeling and chipping. He said the medal deteriorated quickly after exposure to sweat and handling by friends, calling its condition 'rough' and even likening it to having 'been to war.' Huston is not alone. British diver Yasmin Harper, French swimmers Yohann Ndoye-Brouard and Clément Secchi, and Irish rowers Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle are among the athletes who reported their medals fading, chipping, or cracking within days of winning them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เทรด CFDs ด้วยเทคโนโลยีเทรดสุดล้ำ และ รวดเร็วกว่า IC Markets สมัคร Undo Harper said her bronze medal 'tarnished a bit' before she had even left Paris. Doyle's medal, he told officials, was 'smashed, almost destroyed.' The widespread complaints prompted the IOC and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee to investigate, leading to the announcement that defective medals will be replaced with identical versions, engraved to match the originals. The Monnaie de Paris, the official French state mint that manufactured the medals, is overseeing the replacement process, which has been underway since August 2024, when the medal maker initially vowed to replace Huston's bronze following his public complaint. 'The medals are the most coveted objects of the Games and the most precious for the athletes,' the Monnaie de Paris told TMZ Sports last year, pledging to replace all damaged medals. A spokesperson later told AFP that the mint had already replaced dozens and would continue to do so 'in the same professional manner.' What Went wrong The medals from the Paris Olympics were designed by luxury French jeweler Chaumet and produced by the Monnaie de Paris. A key design feature included a polished hexagonal piece of iron sourced from the Eiffel Tower, embedded into each gold, silver, and bronze medal. While visually striking, the construction came with complications. Each bronze medal, made of an alloy of copper, tin, and zinc, weighed approximately 455 grams. While aesthetically pleasing, bronze is more susceptible to moisture and oxidation. This vulnerability was exacerbated by a last-minute regulatory change: a European Union directive banned the use of chromium trioxide, a key component in the traditional varnish used to protect the medals. The Monnaie de Paris was forced to substitute the varnish shortly before production, without sufficient time for quality testing. The result: medals that looked prestigious but failed to hold up under normal conditions. Athletes reported surface tarnishing, flaking, and peeling, often after nothing more than brief contact with skin or sweat. Adding to the controversy, French media outlet La Lettre revealed that more than 100 medals have already been returned. The issue led to a major shake-up at the Paris Mint, with the resignation or dismissal of key figures including industrial director Jacky Frehel, production director Éric Matte, and head of quality Hélène Juton between October 2024 and January 2025. Speaking to AFP, the Paris Mint dismissed the IOC's use of the term "defective," instead describing the medals as "damaged"—a distinction that underscored the tension surrounding the controversy. The medals' production involved at least 30 intricate stages, relying on the traditional savoir-faire of the Monnaie de Paris, one of France's oldest and most prestigious public institutions, founded in 1864 by Charles II. The Mint has a long Olympic history, having also crafted medals for the Athens 1896 and Paris 1924 Games. A Reputational crisis The medal debacle has become a full-blown PR crisis for the IOC and Paris 2024 organizers. As memes and criticism flooded social media, the reputation of the Games—and its corporate sponsors—took a hit. Some fans mocked the medals as resembling "crocodile skin," while others sarcastically labeled them "Paris 1924 editions." The situation has triggered broader concerns over the sustainability strategy used to produce the medals. The Paris 2024 Games had touted its medals as environmentally responsible, using recycled materials from electronic waste. However, some metallurgists now argue that the recycling process may have compromised the quality and durability of the bronze medals in particular. The Monnaie de Paris previously faced a similar issue with another high-profile client—Huawei—which returned over 12,000 cracked medals awarded to employees, also due to problems with varnishing. Looking ahead While the medal damage has cast a shadow over what should have been a moment of celebration, efforts are underway to correct the issue. The IOC says replacements or repairs will be completed in the coming weeks. As for Huston, he's keeping his focus on the future, and a possible second Olympic medal. The 30-year-old skater told TMZ Sports he hopes to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. 'I can't say I'm going out there expecting another medal,' he said, 'but I'll be working hard to stay healthy and keep up with the young guns.' Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Local France
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Local France
Over 200 defective Paris Olympics and Paralympics medals to be replaced
Athletes have complained that their medals have become tarnished or chipped, sometimes within weeks of the Games ending last year. "The French Mint (Monnaie de Paris) has replaced some of them and is continuing its replacement operation at the request of the athletes," it said in a statement. The International Olympic Committee said in January it would systematically replace "defective" medals. The French Mint prefers to call them "damaged". It said it had "done everything possible, from August 2024, to ensure the replacement of the medals concerned". The replacement medals will be identical to the originals, it said but a protective varnish will be added to increase their durability. Some Olympians from the Paris Games have taken to social media to share photos of the state of their medals. One of the first to do so was American skateboarder Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in the street skateboarding competition on July 29th. Ten days later he posted a picture of his medal, complaining about its quality. "These Olympic medals look great when they're brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they're apparently not as high quality as you would think," he said. "It's looking rough. Even the front. It's starting to chip off a little." The 220 medals to be replaced represent four percent of the 5,084 awarded at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
