“U.S. Skateboarder Nyjah Huston Says Paris Olympics Bronze Medal ‘Looking Rough’; Learn Why This Happens and How to Preserve It”
U.S. skateboarder Nyjah Huston has been making headlines recently, and it's not just for his athletic achievements! Huston won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and he took to social media to share
U.S. skateboarder Nyjah Huston has been making headlines recently, and it’s not just for his athletic achievements! Huston won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and he took to social media to share the current state of his prized medal.
In the video, Huston lifts the medal and says, “These Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new. But after sitting on my skin with some sweat for a bit and letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think.”
Flipping the medal over, he revealed the back, which was chipped and worn.
“It’s looking rough. Even the front is starting to chip off a little,” Huston noted. “Olympic medals, maybe step up the quality a little bit.”
The video quickly garnered attention, with comments ranging from “Wait till bro finds out what bronze does when it touches water” to “Olympian discovers oxidation.” But do Huston’s concerns hold any merit?
Indianexpress.com reached out to a metal expert to understand what could be causing this and how to preserve a bronze medal.
“When we say bronze has gone bad, it’s likely the patina has been distorted,” explained Neeraj Gupta, a sculptor at Incredible Sculptures. Patina is the outer surface texture of the metal that occurs naturally and gives the medal its shine and appearance.
There are two primary reasons this could happen.
“Bronze is essentially a copper-based alloy with metals like lead, tin, and zinc added to the mix. The quality and purity of bronze depend heavily on its composition and metallurgy. The percentage of these metals and the timing of their addition are crucial factors in determining the longevity of the alloy and its products,” Gupta explained.
To cut costs, cheaper metals like lead are often substituted for more expensive ones like tin, which can cause the alloy to degrade more quickly.
“As with any alloy, exposure to moisture will lead to decay, but using cheap metals accelerates the process. The only way to preserve a bronze medal is by ensuring the quality and purity of the alloy,” Gupta added.
