Olympic Athletes Research Paper

The Olympic Games have entertained the world since their debut in 1896. These games are very enjoyable to all ages, and demonstrate the talented athletes representing their individual countries throughout the world. An exciting part of the Olympics for athletes and fans is the awards ceremony. Within the ceremony, the top three athletes within each sport are awarded with gold, silver, or bronze medals for their outstanding achievements. What many may not know about these prestigious medals is their rich history and background. Gold, silver, and bronze medals contain a deep history that should be known to all Olympic watchers. From the first presentation of Olympic medals to the 2018 medal ceremony, these Olympic rewards have changed much throughout

Before medals were awarded, Olympic winners obtained trophies, cups, or olive wreaths as prizes. At the first modern Olympic games in 1896, the medals awarded to the first place team were silver and the runner-up received a copper medal. It was not until the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis that gold, silver, and bronze medals were presented to athletes. Each medal has a specific meaning that relates to its use. Gold medals, which are presented to first place winners, represent the Golden age when men lived among gods. Silver medals represent the Silver age when youth lasted for 100 years. Finally, bronze medals symbolize the era of heroes, known as the Bronze age. Olympic athletes all share a goal of gaining one of these prestigious medals because of the powerful messages that each of them

Some facts about Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals today are very interesting and surprising. For example, modern day gold medals are comprised of mainly silver with only 1.2% pure gold. As for silver medals, most consist fully of the element silver. Bronze medals, however, are made with multiple elements including copper, zinc, and tin, but contain mostly copper as it takes up 95% of the medal. As surprising as it may seem, gold medals have not actually been made of 100% gold since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. In addition to the consistency of medals being changed throughout the years, their price has also been dramatically affected. The worth of a pure gold medal is nearly $21,000! Ever since gold medals have been made with mostly silver, their worth has dropped to only $570.30. Modern day silver medals are worth about $315. They are much less than gold medals because around 30% of the silver is obtained from recycled sources. Bronze medals, on the other hand, are roughly worth only $2.38! Similarly to silver medals, some of the copper used in these medals is from recycled