Every Olympic Games sees a new set of medals unveiled, signaling more than just a prize for the podium, but a chance for each host nation to tell a visual story. For the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games, that story starts with a bold and minimalist design, one that celebrates unity, sustainability, and the distinct identities of Italy’s two host cities. But while the medals themselves are sleek and striking, they also represent the latest evolution in a rich design tradition that stretches back nearly a century.
The Milan Cortina medals were crafted by the Italian State Mint using recycled metals and renewable energy—an Olympic first. They feature two interlocking halves, one smooth and one textured, that fit together like puzzle pieces. The metaphor represents several dual concepts: Milan and Cortina, urban and alpine, Olympic and Paralympic, athletes and the teams behind them. One side displays the iconic Olympic rings (or Paralympic Agitos), while the reverse is engraved with the athlete’s event and location, adding a personal touch to each medal. “These medals are a living fragment of the Italian spirit,” said the president of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, Giovanni Malago. “A story etched into metal.”
This conceptual, eco-conscious design marks a sharp turn from earlier Winter Olympic medals, many of which have leaned heavily on cultural and artistic symbolism. So how do these new medals stack up against their storied predecessors?
At the inaugural Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924, the medals were simple and stately: a lone athlete holding skis and skates in front of the Alps. There were no rings yet, just a timeless ode to winter sport that was more commemorative than artistic. Through the 1930s and into the postwar decades, the designs became more polished but remained mostly traditional with some room offered for creative flourishes. Circular medals with classic imagery such as sunbursts, snowflakes and laurel wreaths, dominated until the late 1960s, when Grenoble’s 1968 Games introduced a more avant-garde look, thanks to French designer Roger Excoffon’s abstract flourishes.
From there, creativity and symbolism took precedence.
Starting with Sapporo 1972, hosts began to push boundaries. These medals featured unique shapes and layouts, departing from the traditional round shape with square designs and distinct pictograms.
Sarajevo 1984 took this further with a design imprinted onto an irregularly shaped slab of metal, emphasizing the Olympic flame and Bosnian cultural motifs. But it was Lillehammer 1994 that truly broke the mold: each medal was carved from granite and inlaid with silver, carved with Norse patterns and suspended on handwoven wool ribbons—more artifact than accessory. For the first time, a Winter Olympic medal felt like a sculpture, blending national heritage with artistic innovation in a way that would influence future Games for decades.
Nagano’s 1998 medals embraced Japanese tradition with lacquered finishes and flowing curves. Salt Lake City’s 2002 edition resembled river stones, rugged and heavy, inscribed with the phrase “Light the Fire Within.”
Turin took the design in a completely different direction, stunning in 2006 with oversized medals featuring a large circular hole at their center, meant to symbolize the emotional core of the Games. And Vancouver’s 2010 medals uniquely were etched with Aboriginal artwork; no two were the same, each piece part of a larger image, turning every medal into a personal work of art.
In more recent years, hosts have blended cultural storytelling with cutting-edge design.
Sochi’s 2014 medals featured a mosaic of textures and transparent sections symbolizing Russia’s diverse regions and winter landscapes, while PyeongChang’s 2018 version used tree-ring textures and Korean script to connect nature, language, and athletic legacy. Beijing 2022’s “Tong Xin” medals returned to tradition with a modern twist, drawing on ancient jade bi-discs and encircling them with five concentric rings symbolizing unity and the Olympic spirit.
The Milan Cortina design strips away the decorative, in favor of message and material. "Olympic officials and designers praise its symbolism and sustainability, calling it a modern expression of Olympic values. “It’s a return to essence,” said brand director Raffaella Panie. Many appreciate the quiet symbolism, calling it a fresh take that reflects where the Olympic movement is headed.
Whether you find the two-halves concept elegant or perhaps understated, Milan Cortina’s medals are built to reflect the spirit of these Games: forward-thinking, inclusive, and deeply connected to place. From the first chisel marks in Chamonix, to today’s precision-engineered eco-medals, the evolution of Olympic hardware tells a story all its own; of changing styles, shifting values, and the enduring power of sport to inspire art.
Only one question remains: which athletes will etch their names into history by wearing them?