You've probably seen famous Olympians like Usain Bolt, Mo Farah, and Simone Biles chomp down on their medals after winning. It's become a ritual that we associate with the Olympics - but have you ever wondered why athletes do it?
Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics on SlingTVWith the Paris 2024 Olympics just around the corner, we've got you covered on all the information you need, including the big question - why do Olympians bite down on their medals?
Why do Olympians bite their medals?
In the beginning, athletes used to bite their medals to test whether they were made of real gold or not. Because gold is a soft metal, when bit into, it leaves an indentation.
However, since pure gold medals stopped being awarded in 1912, athletes still do it for cultural significance, and the more simple answer is that photographers love it.
Getty Images
President of the International Society of Olympic Historians, David Wallechinsky, told CNN in 2012: “It’s become an obsession with the photographers. I think they look at it as an iconic shot, as something that you can probably sell. I don’t think it’s something the athletes would probably do on their own.”
However, with medals now made of only 1.34% gold and mainly sterling and recycled silver, it has cost some athletes to obtain the iconic photo.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics, German Luger David Moeller chipped his front tooth when biting down on his medal. Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Moeller explained: "The photographers wanted a picture of me holding the medal just with my teeth. “Later at dinner, I noticed a bit of one of my teeth was missing.”
How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics
Getty Images
In the UK the 2024 Olympics will be available to watch across the BBC, including the iPlayer.
In the US, the Olympic games will be shown on several channels, including NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, and CNBC. NBC is also available on Peacock, FuboTV, and SlingTV.
