Nyjah Huston offered new Olympic bronze amid quality concerns
USA skateboarder Nyjah Huston, a bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be given a new medal. Huston took to social media to raise concerns regarding the medal's quality. He shared images of his deteriorated medal on Instagram, expressing dissatisfaction with its condition. Huston said the "medals are not as high quality as you'd think." The Paris Olympics officials have acknowledged his concerns.
Huston shared the condition of the medal
Huston further elaborated on the state of his medal, noting its rough appearance and chipping front. "I mean, look at that thing. It's looking rough. Even the front. It's starting to chip off a little," he said in his Instagram Story. The skateboarder humorously likened his medal's condition to a war veteran, stating, "Medal looks like it went to war and came back."
Here's Huston's Instagram story
Paris Olympics 2024 responds to Huston
In response to Huston's social media posts, a spokesperson for the Paris Olympics 2024 acknowledged the issue. "Paris 2024 is aware of a social media report from an athlete whose medal is showing damage a few days after it was awarded," stated the spokesperson. The representative assured that replacements would be provided for any damaged and tarnished medals.
Paris 2024 collaborates with Monnaie de Paris
The spokesperson added that Paris 2024 is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for the production and quality control of the medals. They are also collaborating with the National Olympic Committee of Huston to assess his medal and understand the circumstances and cause of its damage. "Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris," assured the spokesperson.
Huston's medal degradation sparks online debate
Huston, a renowned skateboarder with six world championships and 12 gold medals at the Summer X Games, won bronze in men's street skateboarding event at the Paris Olympics. Japan's Yuto Horigome and and USA's Jagger Eaton walked away with the gold and silver medals, respectively. Notably, Huston's recent experience with his medal has ignited an online debate about the durability of Olympic medals.
