How much gold is in the medals awarded at Paris Olympics?

ISLAMABAD: When an athlete wins a gold medal after years of dedication and hard work, its true value can be difficult to measure. However, the actual material value of the medal itself is something that can be quantified before it’s awarded.

As the 2024 Olympics continue in Paris, the world’s top athletes are being recognised with medals for their outstanding performances.

Among them is Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who clinched Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in 40 years.

But how much gold is actually in an Olympic gold medal?

According to Forbes, the gold medal for the 2024 Olympics weighs 529 grams, but it’s composed primarily of silver — 95.4 per cent of it, or 505 grams, to be exact. The medal also contains 18 grams of iron, with only 6 grams of it being gold.

As of July 24, Forbes estimates that the value of the materials used in each gold medal awarded in Paris is around $950.

If these medals were made entirely of gold, they would be worth approximately $41,000 each. Due to the increasing price of gold, the last time fully gold medals were awarded was at the 1912 Olympics.

Despite this, the gold medals at the 2024 Olympics are the most expensive in modern sports history, surpassing the $708 cost of the medals from the 2012 London Olympics.

One unique feature of the medals at the Paris Olympics is the hexagonal piece of iron placed at the centre of each one, whether gold, silver, or bronze. This 18-gram piece is not just any iron — it’s a piece from the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris.

So, while the amount of gold in the medals is limited, it could be said that the most valuable part of these medals might just be the piece of iron embedded within them.