SPORTS NEWS
March 28, 2007
Going for the Gold-and Jade
Officials unveil the winning medals for the 2008 Olympic Games
In less than 500 days, the 2008 Olympic Games will begin in Beijing, China. On Tuesday, the Organizing Committee for the Games revealed the medals that will be awarded to athletes. The unique design combines gold and jade. This is the first time that jade has been used for Olympic medals.
 BEIJING ORGANISING COMMITTEE/HO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES The gold medal is adorned with a band of white jade. |  |
Officials said the design was selected from 265 entries. A panel picked the winner, which came from the Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts. “The panel was looking for something that unmistakably was associated with China, and everyone agreed jade was the symbol,” said Clinton Dines, one of the judges.
The International Olympic Committee has strict guidelines for what medals should look like. The Beijing version blends Olympic history with Chinese culture. One side of the medal shows Nike, the winged goddess of victory from Greek mythology. The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, around 776 B.C.
The flip side of the medal displays the Beijing Olympic logo, the five interlocking Olympic rings and the words “Beijing 2008” in an inner circle. Surrounding the circle is a band of jade. Gold, silver and bronze medals carry the same design. But the jade is a different color for each prize. The gold medal’s jade is white. A slightly darker shade of jade adorns the silver medal and green jade is in the bronze.
“The elegant design represents Chinese culture and the Olympic spirit,” said Jiang Xiaoyu, who also served as a judge. In Chinese culture, jade and gold represent nobility and virtue. Two traits that Olympic athletes also hope to embody.
