So after the last few postings about the current Olympic medals, I began wondering if their unique designs were always the case, or even if medals have always been awarded. In the trophy and awards industry, torch and laurel wreath motifs occur frequently, often on medals. Is there historic background for these icons?
Turns out, that beginning with the modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens, the first place finishers were awarded silver medals. It was not until the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis that the now standard colors of gold, silver, and bronze were awarded to first, second, and third place finishers, respectively.
While I could not find information directly linking the torch icon to the Olympic medals, the torch itself is iconic of the Olympics. Originating during the ancient Olympics, where a flame was ignited by the sun and then kept burning until the closing of the Olympic Games, the flame first appeared in the modern Olympics at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The flame itself represents a number of things, including purity and the endeavor for perfection.
The laurel wreath, a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel, appears in Greek mythology, where Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head. In ancient times, wreaths were awarded to victors, both in athletic competitions and in poetic events; in Rome, they were symbols of martial victory, crowning a successful commander during his triumph.
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