Even as NBC has faced a barrage of
Twitter wrath for its
time-delayed airings and its occasional
promo spoilers, the fourth-placed network has enjoyed
record ratings for its broadcast of the
London 2012 Olympics. As the games of the 30th Olympiad draw to a close, we admit it -- we’ve been glued to the coverage. Sometimes we've opted for web-streams or real-time results. Other times, we've hibernated and waited for the prime-time showings. Either way, the
medal race has lived up to the hype, with the United States and China trading the top spot, and the home nation of Britain fighting with Russia for a surprising third-place finish. The medal ceremonies, in particular, have stirred patriotic passions. The London medals themselves seem noticeably larger than in past years. They stand out in heft and diameter on the athletes’ necks. We did a little digging, and we were intrigued to learn that
the history of the Olympic medal can teach a lot about media literacy, financial literacy, and global cultures.
The
Bottom Line financial report has verified that in Olympic history, this year’s creations are indeed the
heaviest emblems, weighing in at a hefty
400 grams (twice the load of the Beijing 2008 badge). But, in a post-recession economy, these “gold” medals are actually comprised of
92.5% silver and just
1.34% gold (only six grams of golden veneer). The rest is
copper. That means, given today’s
commodity markets, the silver in the first-place medal for the first time is worth more than the actual gold content. Of course, the true valuation of an Olympic medal cannot be accurately calculated. Legendary memorabilia often fetch many thousands of dollars on the auction block. The last pure-gold medal was
Stockholm 1912 ($1,207).
Classically, the
first gold medal was bestowed in 1904 (following
olive wreaths and then silver for first place). The award remained largely
unchanged until 1972. Each year's design typically features
common elements on the front face, such as
Nike (the Greek goddess of victory), the
Colosseum or (more accurately) the
Panathenaiko, the
famous rings, and the
horse-drawn chariot. The rest has recently been up to the inspiration of each host city. Many modern incarnations have featured cultural flourishes or geo-specific engravings. Beijing 2008 even included
a slice of jade inlay.
The London medals were designed by
David Watkins and for safe-keeping were vaulted (where else?) in
the Tower of London next to the Crown Jewels. For a meticulous
retrospective of each year's golden pattern, check out the collection at
The Olympic Design.
Personally, our historic favorites are the delicate
Rome 1960, the iconic
Athens 2004, and the brawny
Torino 2006:
Our least favorites are the sharp
Sarajevo 1984, the glacial
Albertville 1992, and the cumulonimbal
Nagano 1998:
For other ideas about teaching with Olympic
logos or mascots, check out our
earlier post.