Why do Olympic winners bite their medals?

When Carlos Yulo won his first gold medal for men's floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday, he, alongside silver and bronze medalists Artem Dolgopyat and Jake Jarman, bit their medals as they smiled for the camera on the podium. Carlos also won another gold in the vault finals on Sunday.

Winners biting their medals is a common and endearing sight at the Olympics and other sports events — but what is the reason behind this tradition?

According to "Kuya Kim Ano Na?" on "24 Oras" Thursday, merchants back in the day would bite gold, which is soft and malleable, to check its authenticity.

This isn't the reason behind the Olympic tradition, though. David Wallechinsky, an Olympic historian and founding member of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH), had said in an interview with CNN that winners do it because photographers simply request them to. And it does make for an iconic shot!

Awarding medals to winners also began during the modern Olympic games.

Per Kuya Kim, winners were given olive wreaths instead of medals during Ancient Greek times as tribute to the Greek god Zeus. Giving medals to winners began in Athens in 1896, but even the first place winner then didn't get a gold medal.

First place winners at the time received a silver medal, a diploma, and olive branch, while second place winners were given a copper or bronze medal, a diploma, and laurel branch.

The awarding of gold, silver, and bronze medals to first, second, and third place winners was only introduced at the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Games.

Since then, the unveiling of the Olympics medals has been an event in itself due to the interesting stories behind their creation.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, for example, went the sustainable route with its medals made of recycled electronic waste.

Meanwhile, each medal awarded in this year's Olympic Games is embedded with metal from the iconic Eiffel Tower. Olympic winners, thus, get to bring a piece of Paris home.

Designed by jeweler Chaumet, the hexagon Olympic medals feature iron scrap metal from the Eiffel Tower in their center.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News