“This medal is fake. Or real?” The “speed medal” awarded at the World Championships confused the star athlete – Valentin Kononen uploaded direct words about the reform

EUGENE. When the medals are handed out immediately after the performances, the athlete has the opportunity to experience his achievements more holistically, feeling the weight of the medal around his neck and being able to proudly present it in the honor round and in interviews.

This is what the organizing committee of the World Championships in Oregon says in free Finnish in the bulletin (you will switch to another service)which the International Association of Athletics Federations has published on its website on July 5 – that is, ten days before the start of the World Championships.

However, the information in question primarily concerns the announcement of the medals awarded at the World Championships, not the method of awarding them. The release states that the medals will be distributed immediately after the end of the competition and they will be collected back after the athletes walk through the interview area. The organizers use the term instant medals for this process.

However, these medals are genuine, which are handed back to the athletes at an official, traditionally organized award ceremony.

In the video below, you can see how quickly the medals were distributed around the athletes’ necks after, for example, the men’s 10,000-meter run.

The USA took a triple victory in the men’s shot put by Ryan Crouser under. Joe Kovacs and Josh Awotunde accompanied the celebrations of the home crowd with their duller medals. For the trio, the speed medals were memorable.

– It’s a good thing for the lap of honor, because then the medal is in group photos with the supporters. I have nothing against this reform. I don’t think it takes anything away from the normal medal ceremony itself, which is admittedly late, says Kovacs, reached by Urheilu from the stadium corridor.

In contrast to previous games, the prize distribution will take place at the stadium before and after the game events. In the latter, there have been only a few hundreds of spectators at times, although 10,000–20,000 spectators have practically constantly followed the games in the stands. Kuulamörssäri’s triple victory did not make the masses of the audience stay in the stands.

– The importance of social media is big these days, so I believe that this phenomenon will also be preserved in the next prestigious championships, Kovacs says and refers to the World Championship held in Budapest next year.

On the other side of the stadium will meet one of the greatest triple jumpers of all time, a Swede Christian Olsson. He knows what it’s like to poke gold in the neck. Those who breathe athletics remember Olsson as the winning machine that he really was: between 2002 and 2006, he won seven gold medals, i.e. every prestigious competition he participated in.

– I think it’s good to try new things, but I think this reform is unnecessary, because the medal ceremony comes very quickly anyway. I hope this will be abandoned, because the speed medal is not even a real medal, says Olsson.

Olsson must be reminded that the speed medal is a genuine piece, which is taken after the lap of honor and interviews to be engraved before the final handing over at the medal ceremony.

– Oh, is that how it is? Then this is even weirder. Quite a bounce. If I had gotten used to this in my own career, I probably wouldn’t have been so harsh. Fortunately, no one could think of something like this 20 years ago, Olsson says and laughs.

Let’s go and ask for thoughts about the athletes’ village outside the stadium. A familiar figure arrives from the adjacent accreditation center: the 1995 world champion of the 50-kilometer walk Valentin Kononen.

Kononen, who is currently working as a coach, has just arrived in the World Cup city, where the 35-kilometer race will debut on Friday. At that time, the women make the trip, the men’s turn is on Sunday.

The long journey has taken its toll. Kononen is content to say hello and walks past to find his place to stay. A sprint coach arrives from the main building, which serves as accommodation and canteen Petteri Jouste.

– I think this reform has been poorly communicated. It causes the most confusion, Jouste says and greets Kononen, who has come around the corner and is trying to overtake with his luggage.

You have to get up to speed for a while and walk alongside, so that you can also get a glimpse of the representative of the traditional sport.

– Fuck off. I guess there is no need to say more about this, says Kononen.

The Monday evening races have ended. There are only a dozen journalists in the stadium’s new interview area. The women’s triple jump medalists have received their medal, handed it over to be engraved and finally received it back at the medal ceremony.

The world’s superior number one jumper, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas glowing with happiness. However, the signatory’s Spanish does not bend, so Jamaica, who won silver, can be tested Shanieka Ricketts.

The World Cup silver is his second in a row. Ricketts is not a fan of the reform.

– This medal is a fake, Ricketts presents the medal, which however has his name engraved on it.

– Or is this right? Ricketts asks.

Did you get it at the medal ceremony?

– Yes. I gave away the medal I got first and got it back on the podium, but this is the same as the one I got in the beginning.

The original is also genuine. It just didn’t have your name on it then.

– This is quite confusing.

– Fortunately, the medal ceremonies are at least over. The next day I wouldn’t want to continue this anymore, Ricketts says amused.