So I’ve been watching the Olympics like everyone else, right? Kept seeing these athletes holding fancy boxes on the podium besides their medals. Got super curious about what’s actually inside those things. Decided to pull an all-nighter digging into this.
My Deep Dive Process
First thing – rewatching ceremony footage frame by frame on YouTube. Noticed how carefully they handle the boxes, like there’s more than just the medal. Then I hit Google hard, checking athlete interviews and old forum threads. Found this retired Canadian swimmer’s blog where she spilled some details.
Cross-referenced everything with Tokyo 2020 organizers’ documentation. Took me three coffee runs before I confirmed five items that kept popping up:
- The medal itself – obvious, but get this: they’re shipped separately from the boxes weeks earlier!
- Custom velvet cushion – not just foam! Made exactly for each medal’s shape so it doesn’t rattle.
- Miniature flag – tiny foldable version of the winner’s national flag. Saw a photo where it’s smaller than a credit card.
- Authentication papers – handwritten certificate with the event name and athlete’s name in calligraphy.
- Special cleaning cloth
– microfiber wipe with Games logo. One weightlifter said he still uses his from 2016.
The Verification
Messaged three different Olympians on Instagram. Two replied! Confirmed everything except the flag size – apparently sometimes it’s standard flag, sometimes mini depending on the host country. One sprinter told me her box smelled like fresh pine when she opened it.
Honestly blew my mind that they put so much thought into little details like the cushion shape. My lazy ass would’ve just thrown the medal in there loose. Makes you appreciate how much tradition goes into every piece of those ceremonies.
