Indian athletes who shone as stars at the Paris 2024 Olympics might soon see their bronze medals swapped out for new ones. Many of them have raised concerns about their medals showing rust and wear, and they’re eager for replacements.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the Monnaie de Paris, which is the French state mint, will be replacing any damaged medals and will ensure the new ones are engraved just like the originals.

"The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is collaborating closely with the Monnaie de Paris to look into any medal complaints and figure out what caused the damage. Any defective medals will be replaced systematically, and the new ones will have identical engravings. The replacement process is expected to kick off in the next few weeks," the IOC mentioned.

Manu Bhaker, who snagged two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, has already expressed her desire for identical replacements, joining a number of other athletes in this request. Young Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat, who earned bronze in the men's 57 kg freestyle wrestling category during his Olympic debut, has noticed his medal fading, although he hasn’t officially complained yet.

Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, two Indian athletes who snagged medals at the Paris Olympics, have raised concerns about their medals losing color just days after the ceremony.

Kusale shared with Indian Express, "The bronze medal started losing its color within a week of winning it. When I got back to India, my friends, coaches, and fellow shooters all noticed it too. For a shooter, an Olympic medal is something really special, and the fading was obvious. Everyone who saw it pointed it out."

Sarabjot, who earned a bronze alongside Manu Bhaker in the mixed-team event, also mentioned his medal's discoloration, which he feels shouldn't happen. "I noticed the fading a few days post-ceremony, and my team reached out to the relevant authorities to bring attention to the issue. Olympic medals motivate both young athletes and current shooters to aim for Olympic success, so they shouldn't deteriorate like this," he said.

According to La Lettre, a French online news outlet, over 100 athletes have returned defective medals due to similar issues. The medals were affected by new materials that had to be used after regulations banned a certain varnish component, leading to a last-minute change.

The 5,084 medals for the Paris 2024 Games were crafted by luxury brand Chaumet, part of the LVMH group, and produced by the Monnaie de Paris.

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