Why do athletes bite their Olympic medals?

Photos from pubity;eurosportitalia/Instagram

Social media feeds are brimming with celebratory photos of Paris Olympic champions posing with their medals during awards ceremonies. And if you noticed, most of them are shown biting their medals.

This strange tradition has fascinated viewers from around the world, making them wonder how it came about.

Historically, biting down gold coins was common practice among traders for checking the authenticity of the metal. Genuine gold, being soft, would leave dents on the coins.

However, the question of authenticity no longer applies in the Olympics, since the International Olympic Committee stopped awarding pure gold medals in 1912.

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But why do Olympians still bite their medals?

For photo ops: Photographers consider it an iconic pose, according to the Daily Star. “It’s become an obsession with photographers,” David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians, told CNN in 2012

“They consider the medal-biting pose to be the shot that can make it to the front page of the next day’s newspaper,” added Wallechinsky.

Paris Olympics 2024 gold medalists Alice D’Amato, Carlos Yulo and Simona Biles, are among the many Olympians who have joined the bandwagon. 

@togethxr 🚨 New Favorite Olympic Moment Alert 🚨 Zhou Yaqin had no clue about the “bite the medal,” but she’s a quick learner 🥹 #olympics #gymnastics #paris #italy #china #adorable #wholesome #priceless #medal #athlete #sport #podium #silver #beam ♬ original sound – James Jones

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The psychology behind the ‘medal-biting’ trend

A psychologist and professor at Temple University in Philadelphia believes that biting their medals makes Olympians feel they’re part of the winning culture.

“If you want to be part of the winning zeitgeist, that winning culture, you participate in that winning practice,” Farley told Today. 

This tradition has become an act for athletes to personalize their victories. “It makes your medals yours,” he adds. “It’s an emotional connection with your accomplishment.”

Some athletes bite hard enough to etch a mark, akin to fingerprints, making their medals uniquely their own. 

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, David Moeller, a member of Germany’s Olympic team, might have bitten too hard. He broke a tooth and was sent to a dentist.