Tokyo 2020; Paralympic Games Medals
Design
The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) unveiled the official design of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medals today, exactly one year before the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Designs for the medal ribbon and case were also unveiled.
The design is centred around the motif of a traditional Japanese fan, depicting the Paralympic Games as the source of a fresh new wind refreshing the world as well as a shared experience connecting diverse hearts and minds. The kaname, or pivot point, holds all parts of the fan together; here it represents Para athletes bringing people together regardless of nationality or ethnicity. Motifs on the leaves of the fan depict the vitality of people’s hearts and symbolise Japan’s captivating and life-giving natural environment in the form of rocks, flowers, wood, leaves, and water. These are applied with a variety of techniques, producing a textured surface that makes the medals compelling to touch.
Braille letters spell out “Tokyo 2020” on the medals’ face. A series of circular indentations on the side of the medals – one for gold, two for silver, three for bronze – make the medal types easy to distinguish by touch, the first time in Paralympic history that this provision has been made for athletes with a vision impairment.
As part of the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medals are being manufactured from recycled precious metals extracted from mobile phones and other small electronic devices donated by the public.
Specifications
Weight (without ribbon or pin)
-Gold: about 526g
-Silver: about 520g
-Bronze: about 430g
Thickness
-Thinnest point: 7.5 mm
-Thickest point: 10.7 mm
Diameter
-85 mm
Composition
-Gold: over 6 grams of gold plating on pure silver
-Silver: pure silver
-Bronze: red brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
Medal designer
Sakiko Matsumoto
-Designer, Hakuhodo Products, Inc.
Video
Ribbon
The medal ribbons, in the Games’ colours of crimson and cherry blossom, employ traditional Japanese design motifs of harmonised chequered emblems (kumiichi matsumon) in a design that expresses both the festive spirit of the Games and the principle of “Unity in Diversity”. Silicon convex dots – one for gold, two for silver, and three for bronze – are applied to the ribbon’s reverse side, enabling visually-impaired individuals to easily identify the medal type at a touch.
Medal case design
The indigo wooden cases are individually hand-crafted from Japanese ash by highly skilled artisans. The unique wood grain of each case represents the diversity of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The circular case and lid are magnetised, allowing the medal to be displayed as if it is cradled within linked rings.
Source: The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Tokyo 2020; Video: The Making of the Olympic Medals
Tokyo 2020; Medals unveiled at one-year countdown event
Design
The design of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals reflects the concept that in order to achieve glory, athletes have to strive for victory on a daily basis. The medals resemble rough stones that have been polished and which now shine, with “light” and “brilliance” their overall themes. The medals collect and reflect myriad patterns of light, symbolising the energy of the athletes and those who support them; their design is intended to symbolise diversity and represent a world where people who compete in sports and work hard are honoured. The brilliance of the medals’ reflections signifies the warm glow of friendship depicted by people all over the world holding hands.
In order to come up with a range of designs from which to choose, Tokyo 2020 held a competition open to professional designers and design students which attracted more than 400 entries.
Tokyo 2020 medal design competition (in Japanese)
International Olympic Committee regulations stipulate that obverse medal design should include the following elements:
-Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, in front of the Panathinaikos Stadium
-The official name of the respective Games, in this case the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
-the Olympic five rings symbol
Specifications
– Diameter: 85mm
– Thickness: Thinnest part: 7.7mm
– Thickest part: 12.1mm
– Weight Gold: about 556g
– Weight Silver: about 550g
– Weight Bronze: about 450g
– Composition Gold: more than 6 grams of gold plating on pure silver
– Composition Silver: pure silver
– Composition Bronze: red brass (95% copper and 5% zinc)
– Ribbons Attached to the top of medals
– Side of Medal The name of the event will be engraved in English
Medal designer
Junichi Kawanishi
-Representative, designer, SIGNSPLAN
-Director, Japan Sign Design Association
-Director, USD-O (Osaka Design Society)
Video
Ribbon
The ribbon will employ the traditional Japanese design motifs found in ichimatsu moyo (harmonised chequered patterns) and kasane no irome (traditional kimono layering techniques) in a modern presentation. The ribbon is designed to be a reflection of Japan itself and of the way the country demonstrates “Unity in Diversity”. The design also promotes the Tokyo 2020 brand vision of “Innovation from Harmony”.
Silicone convex lines are applied on the surface of the ribbon so that anyone can recognise the type of medal (gold, silver or bronze) by simply touching it. Chemically recycled polyester fibres that produce less CO2 during their manufacturing process are used; these allow the ribbons to incorporate the Tokyo 2020 core graphic colours and to be extremely durable at the same time.
Medal case design
The design of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medal case is inspired by the Tokyo 2020 Games emblem. Each case pays tribute to the Olympians who have reached the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Japanese craftsmen will carefully create the cases with a blend of traditional and modern techniques. Like each individual Olympian who steps onto the field of play, each medal case is distinct and has its own wood fibre pattern subtly infused into the design.
Source: The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
YOG – Lausanne 2020; Medal Design Competition – Results Announced
1st: Zakea Page (20), New Zealand
2nd: Johan Poizat (28), France
3rd: Mishael Jacob Pueblas (30), Philippines
Read more: Press release by The International Committee
YOG – Lausanne 2020; Medal Design Competition
The Medal Design Competition for Lausanne 2020 is now open. Visit medal-design-competition.com for the rules and guidelines.
PyeongChang 2018; Design Guidelines (3)
POCOG’S STYLE GUIDE : PRE-GAMES EDITION
» Link (Olympic World Library)
MEDAL DESIGN : THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
» Link (Olympic World Library)
PUBLICATION DESIGN GUIDELINES : THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
» Link (Olympic World Library)
Update:
CULTURE MARK GUIDELINES : THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES PYEONGCHANG 2018
» Link (Olympic World Library)
EDUCATION MARK GUIDELINES : THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES PYEONGCHANG 2018
» Link (Olympic World Library)
PASSION CREW MARK GUIDELINES : THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES PYEONGCHANG 2018
» Link (Olympic World Library)
SUSTAINABILITY MARK GUIDELINES : THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES PYEONGCHANG 2018
» Link (Olympic World Library)
LIVE SITE MARK GUIDELINES : THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES PYEONGCHANG 2018
» Link (Olympic World Library)
CULTURE MARK GUIDELINES : THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
» Link (Olympic World Library)
EDUCATION MARK GUIDELINES : THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
» Link (Olympic World Library)
LIVE SITE MARK GUIDELINES : THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
» Link (Olympic World Library)
PASSION CREW MARK GUIDELINES : THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
» Link (Olympic World Library)
SUSTAINABILITY MARK GUIDELINES : THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
» Link (Olympic World Library)
YOG – Buenos Aires 2018; Medal Design
YOG – Buenos Aires 2018; Medal Design Competition – Final design
The final design of the @youtholympics medals for @BuenosAires2018 has been released. The design was inspired by fireworks, which represent the enthusiasm and glory of the Youth Olympic Games. The Summer @youtholympics will be held in October 6-18 this year in Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/8f1PQHb6ho
— Olympics (@Olympics) 7 mei 2018
Tokyo 2020; Update Medal Design Competition (April 2018)
Press release by Tokyo 2020:
Tokyo 2020 Completes First Review of Medal Designs
25 April 2018
25 April 2018
The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today carried out its first review of medal designs, narrowing them down to a shortlist of three for the Olympic Games and three for the Paralympic Games. The review comes as the nationwide collection of discarded electronic devices aimed at yielding the precious metals that will be used to make the medals continues to progress.`
The medal design competition commenced in December 2017 and more than 400 designs were submitted by the public. A Tokyo 2020 medal design selection panel comprising a member of the Tokyo 2020 Brand Advisory Board, Olympic and Paralympic medallists and professional designers subsequently reviewed all entries and selected today’s shortlist.
The competition guidelines stated that the designs need to embody the Tokyo 2020 Games’ vision, “sport has the power to change the world and our future.”
With the help of the designers, a manufacturing institution will create three-dimensional mock-ups of each medal design; one Olympic design and one Paralympic design will be selected in the summer of 2018. The new medals will be unveiled in the summer of 2019 together with specially commissioned ribbons and cases.
In April 2017, Tokyo 2020 commenced the nationwide collection of discarded and obsolete electronic devices, in order to use the metal they contain in the production of medals – the first time such an innovative and environmentally-friendly approach has been adopted by an Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee.
As of January 2018, approximately 9,000 tons of discarded devices had been collected by municipal authorities across Japan, and more than 2.6 million used mobile phones had been handed in at NTT DOCOMO stores across Japan. An update on the collection process is available at Tokyo 2020 Medal Project.