IOC Unveils Medals for 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics

After much anticipation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) finally unveiled the medals that would be awarded to the top competitors in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, according to the Olympics’ official website.

The ceremony to unveil the medals took place Thursday in St Petersburg, Russia, after the governing body approved the design earlier in the day. The ceremony included IOC chairman Jean-Claude Killy and Sochi 2014 president Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The designers of these medals used a mosaic to incorporate the Russian Federation's various inhabitants. With so much diversity in that area of the world, these medals represent that well.

The metal used will depend on the finishing place. Besides the normal gold, silver and bronze used for the first-, second- and third-place finishers, the designers have also incorporated polycarbonate in order to lighten the medals.

According to the Olympic site, the medals will weigh between 460 and 531 grams, will measure 10 mm thick and 100 mm in diameter, and there will be roughly 1,300 produced for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The contrasting silver inlay with the designs serves as a great accent, and the cut-out is a small detail that makes this a unique medal.

The iconic Olympic rings, a logo for the Sochi Games and a landscape of Sochi are all incorporated into these medals.

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