Stain Found on Asian Games Gold Medal, Replaced Same Day; Japan Praises Its Own Response

Defect Also Found in Korean Esports Medal
"Under Review"

The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee is facing various controversies due to its hasty administration, and it has come to light that an athlete exchanged a gold medal due to a quality defect.

On September 27, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that an athlete who participated in the esports category of the Games found a defect on their gold medal after winning and requested an exchange. The organizing committee stated that a brand-new gold medal was produced and delivered to the athlete on the same night the exchange was requested. In the photo of the original medal, disclosed to the press by the committee, some discoloration could be seen along part of the medal’s edge. The organizing committee did not disclose the nationality of the athlete who exchanged the medal or the specific event.

According to the organizing committee, approximately 7,000 medals awarded at this Games were all produced by the Japan Mint, headquartered in Osaka. Prior to packaging, the medals for the awarding ceremony are first inspected by the Mint and then checked again by committee staff. If scratches or stains are found, the medal is either repaired or other measures are taken.

However, the organizing committee explained, “We could not determine whether the difference in color on part of the gold medal was caused during the manufacturing process or after it was delivered to the athlete.” The committee added that, so far, this was the only case in which a medal at this Games has been exchanged due to a defect.

This Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games promoted itself as “low-cost and eco-friendly.” Accordingly, each medal measures 80 mm in diameter and 5 mm in thickness, and every gold medal is plated with at least 1 gram of gold. Part of the gold used for manufacturing the medals was recovered from small home appliances by local governments.

The Japanese media outlet RonSpo commented, “Although the Games are already a week underway, only one of the 7,000 medals to be awarded has been reported as defective, which is impressive,” and “This has become an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how outstanding the Japan Mint’s manufacturing technology and the medal’s quality are.”

However, there have also been reports that a gold medal received by a Korean athlete had a discoloration defect. According to Inven, a white mark that was clearly distinguishable from the gold surface was found on the back of a gold medal received by a member of the Korean esports team. The Korea e-Sports Association stated, “We inquired about the exchange procedure through the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and the matter is currently under review.”

It is, however, not uncommon for medal quality issues to arise at major international sporting events. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, American skateboarder Nyjah Huston reported via social media that the plating on his medal wore off just ten days after the closing ceremony. In March last year, the Monnaie de Paris told AFP that they had received 220 exchange requests, accounting for 4% of the 5,084 medals awarded at the Olympics and Paralympics.

There was also an incident at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics this February when Alysa Liu’s gold medal detached from its ribbon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.