What should have been a flawless golden moment for Team USA’s Alysa Liu at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics quickly turned into a viral saga—one that’s got the entire Olympic world buzzing. On February 8, 2026, Liu, already a household name in figure skating, clinched a gold medal in the team event, sending American fans into a frenzy. But just hours after the medal ceremony, Liu’s celebration took an unexpected turn when her prized gold medal broke, separating from its ribbon as she jumped up and down in the Olympic village.
Liu wasted no time taking to social media, posting a video on TikTok showing the detached medal. “I just got this olympic gold medal, already broke it,” she wrote, her tone a mix of disbelief and humor. The medal, scratched and dented from its short fall, was a far cry from the gleaming prize she’d received on the podium. According to an interview with Overtime published February 9, Liu explained, “I was just jumping up and down, as one does to celebrate, and it just dropped. It just literally fell off of the ribbon. It got very scratched up… pretty dented.”
As it turns out, Liu wasn’t alone in her Olympic hardware misfortune. U.S. alpine skier Breezy Johnson, fresh off her own gold medal triumph in the women’s downhill event, experienced the same issue. “Don’t jump in them. I was jumping in excitement and it broke,” Johnson told reporters, showing off the broken medal. “So, there’s the medal, there’s the ribbon and here’s the little piece that is supposed to go into the ribbon to hold the medal. Yeah, it came apart.” Johnson, like Liu, took the mishap in stride, quipping, “I may have set the record for shortest-lived Olympic medal.”
The medal mishaps didn’t stop with Team USA. Germany’s Justus Strelow, who earned bronze in the biathlon, also saw his medal detach from the ribbon during celebrations. TV footage captured Strelow’s stunned reaction as his medal hit the floor, and his unsuccessful attempts to reattach it. The German biathlon team even posted a video on Instagram, jokingly questioning whether medals are “not meant to be celebrated?”
With the issue spiraling into a full-blown trend, Olympic officials found themselves under scrutiny. Andrea Francisi, the Milano Cortina 2026 Chief Games Operations Officer, quickly addressed the growing concern. On February 9, Francisi told the press, “We’re going to pay particular attention to the medals and obviously this is something that [we want] everything [to] be perfect when the medal is handed over, because this is probably one of the most important moments for the athletes. So, we’re working on it.” Francisi emphasized that the committee was “fully aware of the situation” and investigating why so many medals were detaching from their ribbons. “Obviously we are trying to understand in detail if there is a problem,” he added. “We are paying maximum attention to this matter, as the medal is the dream of the athletes, so we want that obviously in the moment they are given it that everything is absolutely perfect.”
For Liu, the broken medal was more than a simple mishap—it was a sentimental keepsake. She admitted in her Overtime interview, “I actually liked it when it was off the ribbon, but that’s not allowed. I had to give it in. I was like, ‘Can’t you just fix this one?’ I’m attached. But it’s OK. I’m detached. Just like it was.” The Olympic committee, acting swiftly, arranged for Liu to meet with them and exchange her damaged medal for a brand-new one. While she protested and wanted to keep the original, rules dictated otherwise. By February 12, Liu had received her replacement gold medal, and she was able to joke about the ordeal with NBC News Bay Area, saying her favorite thing about the new hardware was “That it’s attached to the ribbon, maybe.” She praised the medal’s design, adding, “I like the rings. I think they look super cool. The design is pretty awesome.”
Johnson, too, was issued a replacement medal. Despite the initial disappointment, both athletes showed remarkable good humor, turning a potential PR disaster into a lighthearted lesson for future Olympians: maybe keep the jumping to a minimum when wearing your newly earned medal!
The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics isn’t the first Games to face such a predicament. During the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, over 100 athletes reported issues with the quality of their medals, describing them as deteriorating rapidly—some even compared the finish to “crocodile skin.” The French mint ultimately produced replacements, though they declined to specify the exact number.
As the story of the broken medals spread, it became clear that the issue wasn’t isolated to a single manufacturer or event. The recurring problem has prompted Olympic committees to re-examine their medal production and quality control processes. For the athletes, though, the emotional value of the medal far outweighs its physical state. The moment of victory—the culmination of years of sacrifice and training—can’t be tarnished by a broken ribbon or a dented medallion.
Meanwhile, Liu’s Olympic journey is far from over. With her gold medal firmly (and hopefully securely) around her neck, she’s set to compete in the women’s individual figure skating competition next week. All eyes will be on her, as well as on her Team USA teammate Amber Glenn and Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, who bested both Americans during the team event. The competition promises to be fierce, and Liu will be looking to add another gold to her collection—one that, she hopes, stays in one piece.
It’s a peculiar twist that’s united athletes across sports and nations, all sharing a laugh (and a little frustration) over the fragility of their hard-earned prizes. As Milan Cortina officials continue their investigation and work to ensure the medals are “absolutely perfect,” athletes and fans alike are left with a story that’s as memorable as any Olympic victory.
With the Games still underway and the medal issue under a global microscope, it remains to be seen if more athletes will join the club of “broken medalists.” For now, Alysa Liu and her peers can rest easy knowing their achievements are recognized—and, if necessary, replaced with a little extra care. One thing’s for sure: the Olympic spirit remains unbroken, even if the medals themselves need a little fixing.