Out of This World: Sochi Champions to Get Meteorite Medals

sky_fly20 · Jul 29, 2013

don't know if this has been posted already ...
but some of the Sochi medals will have meteorite fragments embedded in it
hopefully the gold medals ?

http://en.rian.ru/sports/20130724/182403068.html

MOSCOW, July 24 (R-Sport) - Some gold medal winners at the Sochi Winter Olympics are set to be rewarded for their out-of-this-world performances with extra medals embedded with meteorite fragments, Russian officials said Wednesday.

The special medals are on offer to athletes who win their events on February 15, 2014, the one-year anniversary of a meteorite strike that injured 1,600 people, smashing windows and causing other damage in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.

Chunks of that very space rock are to be chipped off and inserted into the medals, Chelyabinsk Region Culture Minister Alexei Betekhtin was quoted as saying in a statement.

"We will hand out our medals to all the athletes who will win gold on that day, because both the meteorite strike and the Olympic Games are the global events,” Betekhtin said.

Several scientific expeditions collected the meteorite shards, which were found to be formed from common chondrite.

Seven sets of medals are on offer on February 15: in the men's 1,500 meter speedskating, the women's 1,000m and men's 1,500 short track, the women's cross-country skiing relay, the men's K-125 ski jump, the women's super giant slalom, and men's skeleton events.

In total, a record 98 sets of medals will be up for grabs in 15 sports at the Games, which run February 7-23, 2014.

plushyfan · Jul 29, 2013

where is the "like" button? :thumbsup:

ice coverage · Jul 29, 2013

The concept is cool

. Too bad that only seven gold medals (none for figure skating :no

will contain the meteorite fragments.

sky_fly20 · Jul 29, 2013

golden411 said:
The concept is cool . Too bad that only seven gold medals (none for figure skating :no will contain the meteorite fragments.

I just got so excited that I posted it but none for figure skating ??? :no:

ManyCairns · Jul 29, 2013

Interesting concept and memorial. Agree, too bad none for skating.

Jammers · Jul 29, 2013

Why did they pick some of the less popular sports to give the Meteorite Medals to?

sky_fly20 · Jul 29, 2013

Jammers said:
Why did they pick some of the less popular sports to give the Meteorite Medals to?

ikr, at least they could have molded it to all gold medals and give some to figure skating
cmon, skiing relay and short track :disapp:

ice coverage · Jul 29, 2013

Jammers said:
Why did they pick some of the less popular sports to give the Meteorite Medals to?

The sports were not "picked" -- unless someone checked the date of the meteorite strike before arranging the Olympic schedule, and finagled the event dates accordingly :laugh:

.
The explanation is in the article in the OP.

sky_fly20 said:
... The special medals are on offer to athletes who win their events on February 15, 2014, the one-year anniversary of a meteorite strike ...

aftertherain · Jul 29, 2013

Jammers said:
Why did they pick some of the less popular sports to give the Meteorite Medals to?

sky_fly20 said:
ikr, at least they could have molded it to all gold medals and give some to figure skating
cmon, skiing relay and short track :disapp:

Because of this:

The special medals are on offer to athletes who win their events on February 15, 2014, the one-year anniversary of a meteorite strike that injured 1,600 people, smashing windows and causing other damage in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.

It's more of a commemoration. (Some) meteorites are worth more than diamonds. They probably didn't want to give too much away either.

And are the athletes of the "less popular sports" somehow less deserving?

CaroLiza_fan · Jul 29, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
jammers said:

why did they pick some of the less popular sports to give the meteorite medals to?

Click to expand...

ikr, at least they could have molded it to all gold medals and give some to figure skating
cmon, skiing relay and short track :disapp:

Never mind the figure skaters, I WANT ONE!!!!!!! :biggrin:

But, I have to take exception to the comment about "less popular sports".

Yes, the Short Track does fall into that category, as does the Speed Skating. BUT, these are not the only medals being awarded on the 15th. There are other disciplines that are VERY popular that are awarding medals that day:

Ski Jumping - Men's individual Big Hill
Cross Country Skiing - Women's Relay
Alpine Skiing - Women's Super G

Maybe I'm biased as I am a ski jumping fan. And I would sometimes dip into the Women's skiing (be it Alpine or Nordic), just to see what's going on. But, these sports are VERY popular, in Europe at least (I don't know how popular they are in North America).

Not too sure about how popular Skeleton is (anywhere!), but the Men's competition finishes on the 15th as well.

So, it is not just the 2 sports sky_fly20 mentioned where the medalists are getting meteorites.

I am SOOOO JEALOUS of those lucky medalists!!!!

CaroLiza_fan

Mathman · Jul 29, 2013

Buy meteorites here, $20 and up.

http://www.meteoritemarket.com

plushyfan · Jul 30, 2013

Mathman said:
Buy meteorites here, $20 and up.

http://www.meteoritemarket.com

with Olympic gold medal ? :biggrin:

a good buy....

ice coverage · Jul 30, 2013

Seems that the lucky Olympic victors on Feb 15 will receive two medals: (1) the official Sochi 2014 gold medal, the same one that will be awarded on other dates + (2) the special meteorite medal. (See below for more explanation.)

And BTW, I believe that a total of ten athletes each will receive the two medals, because the women's 4 x 5 km cross-country skiing relay is one of the seven medal events on Feb 15.

http://www.sochi2014.com/en/games/sport/olympic-games/schedule/

sky_fly20 said:
MOSCOW, July 24 (R-Sport) - Some gold medal winners at the Sochi Winter Olympics are set to be rewarded for their out-of-this-world performances with extra medals embedded with meteorite fragments, Russian officials said Wednesday.

LOL, I added the emphasis above, because I originally had overlooked the word "extra."

Excerpts from another article:

A select few athletes lucky enough to win gold medals on a specific date at the upcoming Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics will be awarded an extra set of medals with bits of the meteor embedded in them ....
The medals will be crafted at an arms factory in the Urals, the report indicated, citing the region’s Minister of Culture Alexei Betekhtin. Apparently, the medals, which have yet to be designed, will be awarded to athletes on February 15, 2014, marking exactly one year since the meteor crash ....
According to a spokesperson for the regional Ministry of Culture, the meteor-inlaid medals will be awarded in addition to the regular set of Olympic prizes. The medals will most likely be gold-plated.
http://rbth.ru/news/2013/07/27/meteor-encrusted_medals_up_for_grabs_at_sochi_2014_28435.html (Jul 27)

And a researcher for NBC Olympics, @JohnHoweNBC, tweeted:

Re: story about Feb 15 Sochi medals having pieces of meteorite...Sochi 2014 rep says all official medals awarded will be exactly the same
9:12 AM - 26 Jul 13
https://twitter.com/JohnHoweNBC/status/360794883184787456

Out of This World: Sochi Champions to Get Meteorite Medals

sky_fly20

Match Penalty

plushyfan

ice coverage

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sky_fly20

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ManyCairns

Jammers

sky_fly20

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ice coverage

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aftertherain

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA

Mathman

plushyfan

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