sportbible homepage
sportbible homepage
  • Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Manchester United
    • Liverpool
    • Arsenal
    • Real Madrid
    • Barcelona
  • Formula 1
    • Red Bull
    • Ferrari
    • McLaren
    • Mercedes
    • Max Verstappen
    • Lewis Hamilton
    • Lando Norris
    • George Russell
    • Charles Leclerc
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • More Sport
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • Darts
    • Athletics
    • Rugby
    • Wrestling
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Snapchat
TikTok
Threads
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • LADbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
How much 2024 Paris Olympic Games gold medals are really worth

Home> Other

Published 08:51 30 Jul 2024 GMT+1

How much 2024 Paris Olympic Games gold medals are really worth

How much are Olympic gold medals really worth?

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Team GB are hoping to win plenty of gold medals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but how much are the medals actually worth?

Winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of any athlete's career, and already Team GB have secured two.

The first came in the equestrian team eventing, with Team GB defending the gold medal they won in Tokyo three years ago.

That was followed by Tom Pidcock winning gold in the men's mountain biking with a stunning come-from-behind victory.

Advert

Japan currently top the medal table with six gold medals, with hosts France second with five.

A gold medal is the physical representation of years of hard work and sacrifice, but what is the monetary worth of the metal disc on the end of a ribbon?

Surprisingly, gold medals aren't actually made of pure gold. In fact, they are mostly made of silver.

An Olympic gold medal is required to be made from at lest 92.5 percent silver, and only has to contain six grams of gold.

In contrast, the silver and bronze medals are made entirely from their respective metals.

Tom Pidcock won gold in the mountain biking.
Tom Pidcock won gold in the mountain biking.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, gold medals were worth around £540, silvers were worth £297 and the bronze medals were valued at £5. Seriously, copper and zinc are extremely common metals.

That said, historic medals have sold for incredible amounts. Back in 2013, one of Jesse Owen's golds from the 1936 Berlin Olympics - that he won in front of Adolf Hitler - sold for a mega $1.46 million (£1.13 million).

The design for this year's Olympic medals is pretty unique, with a hexagonal design with an iron sculpture of the Eiffel Tower on top of the medal. The special feature adds an additional 18 grams to the medal weight.

Joachim Roncin, head of design at the Paris Games organising committee, said: "Having a gold medal is already something incredible. But we wanted to add this French touch and we thought that the Eiffel Tower would be this cherry on top.

"Having a piece of it is a piece of history."

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Olympics, Athletics

Alex Brotherton
Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a journalist at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He can often be found watching dreadful non-league football.

X

@alex_brotherton

Recommended reads

Ranking the top 10 best golfers of all time as Nicklaus v Woods GOAT debate settledGetty ImagesDavid Munyua and Peter Wachiuri interview: 'We wish for major PDC players to come and visit Kenya'Getty / Instagram/@wachiuridartsMark Selby lifts lid on backstage talks over Crucible as landmark agreement reachedGettyBarry Hearn sends message to Ronnie O'Sullivan over snooker future as Crucible prediction madeGetty

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
5 days ago
6 days ago
  • Rohan Dennis/Instagram
    a day ago

    Olympian claims wife's death was 'an accident' after breaking social media silence on tragic incident

    He has taken to social media.

    Other
  • MLB
    a day ago

    MLB game descends into utter carnage after batter sparks mass brawl

    The brawl broke out midway through the fifth inning.

    Other
  • Getty Images
    5 days ago

    Channel 4 broadcasters forced to apologise live on air immediately after Boat Race

    Claire Balding and Jamie Lang forced to apologise live on Channel 4 after Boat Race.

    Other
  • Getty
    6 days ago

    Rapper J. Cole signs shock professional basketball deal aged 41

    He has described the deal as his 'last shot' in professional basketball.

    Other
  • How Much The 2026 Olympic Medals That Keep Breaking Are Actually Worth
  • Olympic athlete won two medals at Paris Games despite not being named in his country's official squad
  • Two Olympic boxers have been stripped of medals as Imane Khelif 'told to return her gold' from Paris
  • US Star Stripped of Olympic Medals and Sent to Prison Now ‘Struggles To Walk’