With every Olympic gathering, host cities feature their creativity and innovation with the medals they award athletes. For the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, joint host cities Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo did just that. After Paris showcased Olympic medals containing authentic Eiffel Tower metal in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, an expectation was set for Italy’s turn. Tasked with constructing a unique medal, the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (the Italian State Mint) designed a medal crafted with recycled metals, which form a design showcasing a split into two angled halves.
At first glance, one might see the design as underwhelming. Unlike previous medals, an emblem of the host city isn’t jumping out: the real significance is in the small details. The two halves concept was a new idea that represented both Italy and the Olympic champions. Rather than focusing on a skyline or landmark, the design centers around a relationship. It shows two distinct sides forming one inseparable whole. In one manner, the two sides represent the two locations hosting one Game, but in another, the two sides could represent the Olympic champions and the people who helped them get to the Olympics, such as the coaches, families, and teams. The medal quite literally refuses to let victory stand alone; one half cannot exist meaningfully without the other. Placed at the center seam of the medal are the Olympic rings, acting almost as a bridge of unity between all the countries.
Aside from the two halves concept, there is also the composition of the medals. While similar to past compositions, for the first time in the Olympics, the medals at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games are made entirely from sustainable and renewable materials and that are fully recycled. Tradition and innovation, permanence and renewability, history and future coexist all within one object. With two different textures that shimmer differently in light, it is another message of individuality. Each medal is handcrafted, personalized with polishing and frosting details, meaning no two champions receive an identical piece. In this way, individual difference is preserved within collective unity.
Minimalism defines the aesthetic for the medals. Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo chose to discreetly carve their name along the sides, leaving the Olympic rings to remain central. This choice reinforces the philosophy of two halves where the two host cities step back so the global whole can step forward. In a time of political fragmentation, centering the Olympic symbol rather than national branding feels intentional.
As great as the intent of the design, critiques are still coming through. Some critics argue the abstraction makes the design difficult to immediately interpret. Without detailed imagery or landmarks, the meaning requires explanation. Others have pointed out that the medals can appear plain compared to more elaborate designs from previous Games. There have even been reports of medals separating from their ribbons or along the central seam, an irony not lost on observers given the emphasis on unity.
Yet, perhaps the abstraction is precisely what gives the medals depth. The two halves represent Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, athletes and support systems, along with Olympic and Paralympic movements. The Paralympic medal includes braille, reinforcing inclusion and connection. The seam dividing the medal is a deliberate line of dialogue. It acknowledges separation while insisting on cohesion. Unity here does not mean sameness; it means alignment.
Ultimately, these medals can be described as abstract yet intentional. They may not overwhelm with intricate detail, but they communicate a message the world arguably needs: unity through balance. Two cities, two textures, two narratives, and two halves are presented on one whole medal.
In the end, the Milano-Cortina medals do not shout. They divide, instead, in order to unite. And in circular form with no beginning and no end, they suggest that strength is not found in a single shining surface, but in the seamless joining of the two halves into one enduring whole.
