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See Every Moment from the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
There’s certainly a crack in the Olympic medals’ foundation.
Shortly after Team USA’s Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu revealed their gold medals unexpectedly broke during the 2026 Winter Olympics, the organization confirmed they’re fully aware of the growing defects.
“Following reports of issues affecting a small number of medals, the organising committee immediately reviewed the matter, working closely with the State Mint, which produced the medals,” Olympic committee spokesperson Luca Casassa said at the Milano Cortina Games briefing on Feb. 11. “A solution has been identified, and a targeted fix has been put in place.”
He continued, “Athletes whose medals have been affected are encouraged to return them through the appropriate channels so that they can be promptly repaired and returned. Milano Cortina 2026 remains fully committed to ensuring that medals, which represent the pinnacle of every athlete’s journey, meet the highest standards of quality and care.”
While officials haven’t publicly addressed the cause behind the defects, theories have suggested it could be an issue with the medal’s clasp that connects it to the ribbon. According to The Guardian, the clasp is created with a breakaway mechanism—a fitting required by law—to avoid the risk of injuring the winners when they wear them.
E! News has reached out to the Olympic officials about the defected medals, but have not yet heard back.
As for the organization’s repair process, Liu has already seen progress with her medal. One day after the figure skater—who picked up her gold in the Team event—posted an Instagram video of it detached from the ribbon on Feb. 8, she confirmed she had to return her medal for a new one.
“I had to give it in. I was like, ‘Can you just fix this one? I’m attached,’” the figure skater recalled to Overtime on Feb. 9, proudly wearing her new trophy. She then joked about the situation, “But it’s OK. I’m detached, just like [the medal] was.”
Liu noted that after she won the gold medal at the ceremony, she started “jumping up and down” in joy when “it just dropped” to the floor.
“It just literally fell off of the ribbon,” she explained. “It got very scratched up…pretty dented.”
Andy Cheung/Getty Images
Johnson—who won the medal for her impressive run in the women’s downhill on Feb. 8—also endured the same fate, her trophy falling off as she celebrated with her team.
“I was jumping in excitement and it broke,” the alpine skier told reporters in a post-ceremony interview at the time. “So there’s the medal, there’s the ribbon, and here’s the little piece that is supposed to go into the ribbon to hold the medal. Yeah, it came apart.”
While Johnson hasn’t revealed if she received a replacement just yet, she was lightheartedly optimistic about the medal’s condition.
“I’m sure someone will fix it,” she joked. “It’s not crazy broken, but it’s a little broken.”
Keep reading to see more viral moments from the 2026 Winter Olympics…
Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT/Getty Images
You're on Candid Camera
A cameraman films U.S. skiers Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin hugging after the second run of the women's team combined salom event.
Odd ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images
A Small Gift
French biathlete Lou Jeanmonnot has some fun with plushies of Milan-Cortina Olympics mascots Milo and Tina, which she received as part of winning the silver medal in the women's biathlon 15km individual event.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Thinking of Home
Skier Dmytro Shepiuk uses a sticky note to send love to his fellow Ukranians after finishing the men's super-G event.
WANG Zhao/AFP via Getty Images
Scream and Shout
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto is surprised by her score in the women's singles free skating team event.
JASPER JACOBS/BELGA MAG/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
All the Emotions
Dutch speedskater Jutta Leerdam wipes tears from her eyes after learning she set an Olympic record in the women’s 1,000-meter race.
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Big Air
China's Eileen Gu competes in the women's freestyle slopestyle—which earned her a silver medal.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
With Him Always
U.S. skater Maxim Naumov holds a photo of his late parents close after competing in the men's single skating short program.
Hector Vivas/Getty Images
Twists and Turns
A composite image shows off the many tricks seen in the women's freestyle slopestyle.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Pierogi Power
Polish figure skater Ekaterina Kurakova holds up a plushie of a pierogi—widely considered to be Poland's national food—as she celebrates with her teammates during the women's single skating short program.
Tom Weller/Getty Images
It's a Bird, It's a Plane
No, it's Team Austria's ski jumper Julia Muehlbacher.
Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty Images
Double Trouble
Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp of Austria zoom by during the luge women's doubles.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Say Cheese!
The winners of the figure skating team event snap a selfie with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Olympic Edition while on the podium.
Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT/GettyImages
Never Give Up
U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn looks determined as she attends a training session days after rupturing her ACL in a crash.
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Ice to See You
Alysa Liu of United States performs the Biellmann spin during the women's single skating short program event.
Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images
So Close
Team Great Britain's Jennifer Dodds has a nail-biting reaction to the curling mixed doubles round robin match against South Korea.
Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images
Curl It Like It's Hot
Snoop Dogg, serving as an Olympics correspondent for NBC, tries his hand at curling at a practice.
Tim Clayton/Getty Images
In Sync
U.S. figure skaters and real-life couple Evan Bates and Madison Chock are a perfect match while performing their rhythm ice dance routine.
Federico Manoni/NurPhoto via Getty Images
On the B-rink of History
Laila Edwards, the first Black woman representing the U.S. in Olympic hockey, faces off against Czech player Sara Cajanova during the United States vs. Czech Republic game.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Friendship Knows No Borders
Australian snowboarder Valentino Guseli shares a hug with Team Czechia's Jakub Hrones during the men's snowboard big air qualifiers.
Javier SORIANO / AFP via Getty Images
Photo Finish
Bulgarian ski jumper Vladimir Zografski hits the brakes during a training session.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Swept Away With Joy
American curler Korey Dropkin lets out a victorious shout after his team defeats Switzerland in a mixed doubles round bobin match.
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