Paris 2024 Olympics.. Why do Olympic champions bite their medals?

2024-08-10 2024-08-10T12:58:49Z

Arab Weather - Chinese gymnastics champion Zhou Yaqin sparked widespread interest on social media when she learned the "medal bite" move while standing on the platform, inspired by her fellow champions.

During the award ceremony for the winners of the balance beam competition, the gold medalist bit her medal, which caught the attention of "Zo" who tried to imitate the move in a funny way.

Why do Olympic champions bite their medals?

Typically, after Olympic athletes stand on the podium to receive their medals and listen to the gold medalist's national anthem, they are faced with an army of photographers who ask them to mimic the "medal bite" gesture for the cameras.

According to David Walczynski, president of the International Association of Olympic Historians and author of "The Complete Book of the Olympics," the reason for this is the demand for photographers.

Although Olympic historians are not sure which athlete started the trend, there is a belief that athletes bite their awards to test the metal, according to Sky News Arabia.

Some believe that gold, being softer than silver or bronze, is tested by biting into the medal; if your teeth leave a mark or dent, it indicates that you have found a gold medal. In 19th century California, gold prospectors used this method to check the "real" nature of the gold they found.