Olympic Gold Medals Are Made Of Silver

Why does a gold medalist win a silver medal?

Gold Medal

Interesting Facts in Easy English

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • host country: the nation that holds the event
  • IOC: International Olympic Committee
  • composition: what something is made of
  • gold-plated: containing a layer of gold on the surface
  • monetary value: the amount something is worth

Gold Medals Are Made Of Silver

Winning a gold medal in the Olympics is a reward like no other. But are the medals really made out of gold? Not entirely. gold medals are very expensive, and have not been to Olympians since 1912. Since then, Olympic gold medals have only contained a small percentage of gold. While the design of the is determined by the host country, the IOC does some rules about the metal composition. The gold-plated gold medals are made mainly of , but must contain a minimum of 6 grams of gold. The monetary value of the 2014 gold medals was approximately $550 US dollars.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What has changed about Olympic gold medals since 1912?
  2. What must an Olympic gold medal contain?
  3. How much was a 2014 gold medal worth at the time of the Olympics?

Discussion Questions: When it comes to Olympic standings, should “bringing home the gold” be the most important thing, or should countries be ranked by total medals? Or, perhaps you agree with some Olympic critics who feel that nations should stop counting altogether.

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