Why Olympic athletes bite their medals after winning

Some of the most iconic sports photos feature athletes biting their medals after winning glory in their sport.

Usain Bolt bites his gold medal

From famous Olympic champions like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, football players, rugby players and athletes from all over the world take part in this iconic activity.

We've seen a number of Olympians, including England's Tom Daley, bite into their medals at the Paris 2024 Games - while England superstar Jude Bellingham recently chewed on his medal after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid earlier this summer.

Although it is unclear where the trend originated, many believe that the British 4x100m relay team at the 1991 World Athletics Championships, consisting of Derek Redmond, John Regis, Kriss Akabusi and Roger Black, were the first athletes to implement the trend.

David Moeller reveals he chipped a tooth from biting his medal

However, this may not be the safest thing to do, as David Moeller, a German skateboarder who competed in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, admitted that he chipped a tooth after biting down on his silver medal.

England diving team's male god Tom Daley

Victory ceremony?

But why do athletes take part in this ritual? There are many theories, some say it comes from ancient gold mining, while others believe it is a hoax that athletes are asked to do.

Some people believe that because gold is softer than silver or copper, one way to tell if your medal is real is to bite into it. If your teeth leave a mark or dent in the precious medal, you know you have a gold medal. During the California Gold Rush in the 1800s, prospectors would test whether they had real gold by biting into it.

US swimming champion Michael Phelps is probably the person who bites the most medals

According to Oxford Economics, an Olympic gold medal costs around £798 – and it’s not made entirely of gold. They contain around six grams of gold, with the rest of the medal made of silver and weighing around 531 grams (1.17 pounds).

The silver medal is slightly lighter at 531 grams, while the bronze medal weighs 454 grams (1 pound).

But others believe the phenomenon is driven by photographers, with David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians, telling CNN in 2012 that athletes bite their medals because they are asked to by photographers.

'It became an obsession for photographers,' says Wallechinsky.

'I think they see it as an iconic photo, as something you can sell.

'I don't think it's something athletes can do on their own.'

Others, including Professor Frank Farley of Temple University, Philadelphia, believe that medal biting is a social phenomenon that allows athletes to feel part of the 'victory spirit'.

'All sports have their quirks,' according to Lad Bible. 'If you want to be part of that winning spirit, that winning culture, you get involved in that winning activity.

'It makes your medal yours. It's an emotional connection to your achievement.'

Just for a nice picture

The entire US Gymnastics team obeyed the camera's commands at Rio 2016.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, NBC News also explained that biting medals was not to make a dent to determine whether the gold was real or not, because in fact, everyone who won silver also bit. The real reason was quite simple. NBC News explained: "Because all the photographers were yelling, 'Bite the medal! Look over here! Bite!'"

That's right. There's no long tradition behind it - it's all about a good photo.

NHAT TAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/vi-sao-cac-vdv-olympic-can-huy-chuong-sau-khi-gianh-chien-thang-post751787.html