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Vancouver's Medals Just Ugly?


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So, anyone else got a beef with the aesthetics of the Vancouver medals (they look a bit like metal slabs that have been badly cut, with all the bends and warps of an old vinyl record left in the sun):

vancouver_medal00.jpg

Of course for some reason the OWG organisers have consistently trotted out whacko designs avoiding the classic beauty of the SOG medals. You have to go back to Lillehammer and Albertville for the last classy designs for OWG medals...

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As a matter of fact, I'm quite fond of them. I think everything about them is great, really. The shape, the unusually large size, the motives, the position of the olympic rings. I think the silver one is particularly beautiful. :)

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I've always liked them, gotta say. All part, really of the fact that the WOGs aren't as burdened by tradition as tightly as the Summers.

Not sure if I agree with the concept of being 'burdened' by tradition, particularly considering the whole concept of the modern Olympics is based on the reviving the tradition of multidisciplinary sports from Ancient Greece (but that's another discussion). Tradition is a powerful component of the Olympics and has a value that can't be considered a burden (unless you refer to the weight of expectation successful games generate from past years).

For me the aesthetics of Albertville's and Lillehammer's medals merge that engagement with tradition with being designs apart from the classic SOG medal format:

Albertville1992W_medal_b.jpgLillehammer1994W_medal_b.jpg

Edited by eusebius65
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I like them. They are simple and elegant. Honestly the winter medals have been better than the summer medals since 1992 with Albertville's. The summer medals are too busy and the front is ugly. I think the host should be allowed to design a medal with a Greek front theme but their own take on it. Look at SLC's medal design with their use of Nike.

Barcelona's, Atlanta's and Athens medals were bland, uninspired and plain.

I like Sydney's because of the finish. It was well done. Beijing's use of jade and that very beautiful back was wonderful.

Edited by Faster
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potato chip, too big, but Vancouver has been consistent in odd (ugly) design choices, don't get me started on that cauldron, worst in Olympic history.

I used to have this ideal image of Vancouver and Canada, these games are just screwing all that up, has there ever been a city who's reputation was damaged by a games?.........now lets see..........were there any others..............most cities make large gains in the prestige department but there must be a couple with the opposite affect???? Say a city whose budget overruns were legendary, and the laughing stock of the world ever since 1976......now it's just on the tip of my tongue. Perhaps a city that had to commence with the game with unfinished major venues due to total mismanagement and overreach......hmmmmmmm.........who could it be.

Anyway.....GO TORONTO 2024!

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Honestly the winter medals have been better than the summer medals since 1992 with Albertville's. The summer medals are too busy and the front is ugly.

Winter medals are ugly and weird. Torino? Hideous! Summer medals have to meet certain standards, Winter medals, like the Winter games (ceremonies, medal ceremonies), are kind of anything goes.

I liked Athens, and Beijing's medals were beautiful.

That all being said, Vancouver's medals are beautiful.

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potato chip, too big, but Vancouver has been consistent in odd (ugly) design choices, don't get me started on that cauldron, worst in Olympic history.

I used to have this ideal image of Vancouver and Canada, these games are just screwing all that up, has there ever been a city who's reputation was damaged by a games?.........now lets see..........were there any others..............most cities make large gains in the prestige department but there must be a couple with the opposite affect???? Say a city whose budget overruns were legendary, and the laughing stock of the world ever since 1976......now it's just on the tip of my tongue. Perhaps a city that had to commence with the game with unfinished major venues due to total mismanagement and overreach......hmmmmmmm.........who could it be.

Anyway.....GO TORONTO 2024!

And how has the 2010 Games "destroyed" the reputation of Vancouver and Canada? :rolleyes: I'd say it's quite the opposite.

Anyhow, the 2010 medals are beautiful. They're indented to represent the rolling topography/mountains of British Columbia. Their simplicity is stunning.

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Winter medals are ugly and weird. Torino? Hideous! Summer medals have to meet certain standards, Winter medals, like the Winter games (ceremonies, medal ceremonies), are kind of anything goes.

I liked Athens, and Beijing's medals were beautiful.

That all being said, Vancouver's medals are beautiful.

Torino's were a brilliant design.

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The shape was dynamic, so was the engravings. It reflected the look of Torino and the integration of the ribbon into the medal was magnificent. The finish was also really well done. Negative space was ambitious and daring. And it worked and the symbolize of it worked. the hole was meant to be over their heart to incorporate all the heart that went into winning that medal.

Edited by Faster
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Best Winter medals (in alphabetical order): Albertville, Lillehammer, Salt Lake and Vancouver

OK but boring: Torino

Worst: Nagano (I don't even recall what those damn things look like...)

to refresh your ceremony addled memory Baron...

1998_nagano_medal1.jpg

Actually I don't mind it...Salt Lakes looked like slag on a ribbon :P

Edited by eusebius65
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I like them a lot, too -- I was only surprised by their size. Judging by the first pictures when they were unveiled, I thought they had rather the size of Salt Lake's or Sydney's medals. So in my opinion, they could have been even more beautiful if they had been a little bit smaller. But the overall design is still magnificent.

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not to mention its also made of metals from discarded appliances as well to help the environment.

albertville's medal is made of aside from the metals used hand crafted lalique crytals. lillehammer used granite while nagano used lacquer and color.

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I really like how they designed them. Very sleek and telegenic, especially in the "athlets kissing medal" moment.

I would even more appreciate them without the wavy shape, though.

Anyway, much better than the SLC harsh stones and Beijing ones which were sooo boring.

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