Wondering why Olympians bite their medals like cookies? We asked experts to explain.
Aug. 9, 2012, 11:49 AM UTCAfter medal-winning Olympians stand on the platform, receive their medals, and solemnly listen to the gold medal winner’s national anthem, they leave the stage and face an army of photographers. In front of the flashing lights, many winners grab their medals and take a bite.
USA's Hilary Knight and Meghan Duggan bite their gold medals during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.While Olympic historians aren’t sure which athlete started the trend, they believe the athletes nibble their prizes to test the metal. People once bit gold coins try to make an indent; a small tooth mark in a coin assured it consisted of real gold, which is more malleable than counterfeit gold-plated lead coins.
Even though the medal isn’t solid gold, Bijkerk suspects that Olympians could make a mark in the medal, depending on how hard they bite. And some really sink their teeth into their prizes. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, German luger, David Moeller, who won a silver medal,Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade bite their medals on the podium after the men's basketball gold medal match in Beijing in 2008.
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