Bolt Takes Bronze in 100m Farewell: The Quieter Photo 🥉

Usain Bolt finished third in the 100m at London on Saturday — Gatlin won. The bronze medal photo is more affecting than any gold lift would have been. Bronze deserves more design attention than it typically gets.

Bronze Medal Is Often Designed Lazily

Most event organizers brief the gold medal carefully and apply the same die in bronze plating. The result: bronze medals look like third-rate gold. IAAF London commissioned a distinct patina finish for bronze — warmer, more matte, photogenic in its own right. For your own events, give bronze the same design attention as gold. Cost difference is negligible; perception gain is real.

The Third-Place Athlete Photo Tells a Story

Bolt holding the bronze with a smile that says "I gave what I had left" is more human than any gold-lift photo. For event communications and post-race coverage, the bronze winner often produces the most relatable image. Brief your photographers to give bronze recipients equal coverage. The story is in the third step of the podium too.