The International Olympic Committee unveiled the 2018 Winter Olympics medals.
Inspired by Korean culture and traditions, the medal designer Lee Suk-woo was inspired by the surface of tree trunks, because “tree” symbolizes the work the Koreans have done in planning the Olympic Games. One side features the Olympic rings, while the reverse features the name of the discipline and event and the PyeongChang 2018 emblem. The medals’ edges read, “PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.”
(Getty Images-Chung Sung-Jun)
The medals’ lanyards are also meant to embody Korean culture with a snowflake pattern embroidered on Gapsa, a type of cloth use in traditional Korean costumes. The medals range in weight from 586 grams for the gold to 493 grams for the bronze. In total, 259 sets have been made.
(Getty images/AFP-Jung Yeon-Je)
The medals were revealed simultaneously in both South Korea and New York City. The Temple of Dendur, an ancient Egyptian structure in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was the setting for the U.S. gold, silver and bronze medals unveiling.
The women's alpine skiing gold medal. (Getty Images-Chung Sung-Jun)
READ MORE: PYEONGCHANG OLYMPIC MEDALS UNVEILED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN NEW YORK AND SEOUL
