# Why Did the Olympic Athletes Bite Their Gold Medals? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 14, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676 "2021-09-14T23:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/1 "2021-09-14T23:36:52Z")
I just know on TV, they said Olympic athletes biting their gold medals signified something. But they never said what. What does it signify? And why do they do it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/2 "2021-09-14T23:41:33Z")
Gold is supposed to be soft enough to bite into a little bit, so goes the legend. Plus, you get kind of hungry after swimming 2000 meters. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/3 "2021-09-14T23:45:02Z")
According to one Olympic athlete, they bit the medals because the photographers asked them to do it. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/4 "2021-09-14T23:52:03Z")
An hommage to Underdog? At :48… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lNN80jLqVWo/hqdefault.jpg "Underdog Syndication Opening") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNN80jLqVWo) ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/5 "2021-09-15T00:01:12Z")
Olympic Gold medals are actually made of silver, with a gold plating on the outside. [Are Olympic Medals Real Gold? What Olympic Gold Medals Are Made Of | StyleCaster](https://stylecaster.com/are-olympic-medals-real-gold/#:~:text=Olympic%20gold%20medals%20have%20some,6%20grams%20of%20pure%20gold.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/6 "2021-09-15T00:24:09Z")
I think the construction is different for every Olympiad. IIRC, a few years ago, they were largely transparent (glass? Polycarbonate?). ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/7 "2021-09-15T00:27:02Z")
It’s an age-old test to check if a gold coin is counterfeit: > **[Gold coin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_coin#Biting_gold)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > A gold coin is a coin that is made mostly or entirely of gold. Most gold coins minted since 1800 are 90–92% gold (22‑karat), while most of today's gold bullion coins are pure gold, such as the Britannia, Canadian Maple Leaf, and American Buffalo. Alloyed gold coins, like the American Gold Eagle and South African Krugerrand, are typically 91.7% gold by weight, with the remainder being silver and copper. > Traditionally (up to about the 1930s), gol... ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/8 "2021-09-15T00:47:14Z")
At the very least, biting would distinguish between gold and tungsten, the only non-precious metal of comparable density. Tungsten is notoriously hard. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/9 "2021-09-15T01:30:04Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > It’s an age-old test to check if a gold coin is counterfeit: Also, for that reason, it has become a long-lasting **[cultural meme](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TastyGold)** that is used in entertainment to show that the person who receives a coin has some doubt as to its authenticity. For at least 100 years it’s mostly been played for a laugh, and that is what the Olympians were doing. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/10 "2021-09-15T01:50:53Z")
Today I learned… That winners used to be taxed in the value of their medals! > **[Olympians No Longer Have to Pay a "Victory Tax" on Their Medals](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/news/a39995/united-states-olympic-medal-taxes/)** > > Unlike Michael Phelps, who had to pay for his glory. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/11 "2021-09-15T06:18:34Z")
I just assumed it was a conventional photographer’s trope, as in - all university graduates must throw their caps in the air - all young people receiving good news (in the UK, particularly good exam results) jump in the air in a group etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/12 "2021-09-15T08:23:21Z")
On photographers’ tropes, you might be mildly amused by the Facebook group (and website) [Angry People in Local Newspapers](https://m.facebook.com/angrypeopleinlocalnewspapers/). ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/13 "2021-09-15T09:49:08Z")
Since this is directly related to the Olympics, let’s move this to the Game Room (from IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-olympic-athletes-bite-their-gold-medals/950676/14 "2021-09-15T14:37:18Z")
They only bite their medals if there is no [mayor](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/world/japan-mayor-bites-olympian-medal-intl-hnk/index.html) around to do it for them.