Rio 2016 Medals: 12 Weeks Out, Close-Up Design Notes 🥈

Rio 2016 opens August 5. The medals — recycled metals, samba laurel relief, FSC-certified wood ribbon ring — embody Brazilian sustainability messaging. Three details worth understanding before the broadcast.

Wood-and-Metal Composite Medal Ring

Rio medals attach the ribbon through an FSC-certified rosewood ring on the top edge — not a pressed metal loop. The wood ring is the first composite-material feature on an Olympic medal. For Thai sport organizers seeking distinctive medals at competitive cost, a small hardwood accent (teak, rosewood) on an otherwise metal medal adds ~฿10/unit and reads as deliberate craft.

Rattling Bronze for Visual Impairment

Rio Paralympic medals — opening in September — contain tiny embedded ball bearings that rattle when shaken. The volume tells the tier: more rattle = higher rank. Accessibility baked into the artifact, not added afterwards. For inclusive events in Thailand, asking the factory about rattle inclusions costs little and signals serious accessibility commitment.