There's A Major Problem With The Medals At The Winter Olympics

MILAN, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Whether gold, silver or bronze, there is one thing Milano Cortina Winter Olympics medals have in common: they can break.

Games organisers on Monday said they have launched an investigation into a spate of mishaps that have left Olympic medallists, including American downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson, sporting a cracked and chipped medal.

“We are fully aware of the situation and you have seen the pictures,” Milano Cortina Chief Games Operations Officer Andrea Francisi told a press conference on Monday. “We are looking into what exactly the problem is.”

“We will pay maximum attention to the medals ... so that everything will be perfect because this is one of the most important things for the athletes.”

Johnson is one of several decorated athletes in Italy who have seen their medals snap, crack and pop only minutes after the award ceremonies in the first few days of the Games.