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London 2012 Unveils Olympic Medals

The medals to be awarded to the athletes competing at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games were unveiled Wednesday to mark the one year countdown to the Games.

The medals were presented by Princess Anne at a ceremony at London’s Trafalgar Square.

They measure 85 millimetres in diameter, weigh 375-400 grams and are reportedly the largest ever awarded at a Summer Games.

The Olympic medals’ circular form is a metaphor for the world.

The medals, designed by a British artist, feature Nike, the Greek goddess of victory on one side. On the other side is a complex image containing five symbolic elements. The dished background suggests a bowl similar to the design of an amphitheatre; the core emblem is an architectural expression, a metaphor for the modern city, or as a geological metaphor as a tough crystalline growth which is deliberately jewel-like; the grid brings both a pulling together and sense of outreach on the design – an image of radiating energy that represents the athletes’ achievements and efforts; the River Thames is a symbol for London and also suggests a fluttering baroque ribbon, adding a sense of celebration; and the square is the final balancing motif of the design, opposing the overall circularity of the design and emphasizing its focus on the centre reinforcing the sense of ‘place’ as in a map inset.

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said, “I hope that seeing the design of the London 2012 Olympic medals will be a source of inspiration for the thousands of athletes around the world who are counting down the year before they compete at the greatest show on earth. All of our preparations are focused on ensuring the athletes are at the heart of the Games, and I believe that through this rigorous process the panel of experts have selected an artist and a design for medals that all athletes would be proud to own”.

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