During the award ceremonies at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, a string of incidents where Olympic gold medals broke has raised concern among athletes and organizers. One notable case involved American skier Breezy Johnson, who won a gold medal in women's downhill skiing. Just after receiving her medal at the ceremony, she experienced a failure of the hardware connecting the medal to its ribbon when she jumped in excitement. Laughing about the incident, she advised fellow medalists to be cautious and avoid jumping, although she noted it was not a major issue.

The situation escalated the following day when the topic of the broken medals was brought up at a press conference by both the event's organizing committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Reports indicated that Johnson was not the only one to have encountered this problem, as other medalists also reported similar issues. Andrea Sisi, the director of event operations for the organizing committee, stated that while the cause of the breakages remains unknown, they are actively assessing the situation and have already started an investigation.

With the Milan-Cortina Olympics set to take place from February 6 to 22, 2026, the integrity of the medal presentation process is crucial for both the athletes and the event's reputation. As officials seek to understand why these medals are failing, there is a sense of urgency to ensure this prestigious moment for athletes is preserved without further incident in the future.