Milano Cortina Winter Games 2026: What’s the true worth of a gold medal?

But beyond the glory, prestige, and national pride, what is the actual monetary worth of a gold medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Games?

The composition behind Olympic Gold

Despite its iconic status, an Olympic gold medal is not made of solid gold. In fact, only a small fraction of the medal consists of pure gold.

The gold medals being awarded at the Milano Cortina Games contain just 1.2 percent pure gold, while approximately 98.8 percent of the medal is silver.

Each medal weighs around 506 grams, but only about six grams of that total is pure gold. The remainder is primarily high-quality silver, plated with a thin layer of gold to meet International Olympic Committee standards.

This may surprise fans who assume that Olympic champions are handed a medal crafted entirely from gold bullion. However, the tradition of solid gold medals ended more than a century ago.

What is the actual value?

Based on current metal values, the estimated intrinsic worth of a Milano Cortina gold medal is approximately $2,500. That figure reflects the market value of the silver and the small portion of gold embedded within the medal.

If the medal were made entirely of pure gold at its current weight of 506 grams, its value would skyrocket to around $82,550 per medal. The difference highlights the symbolic, rather than material, nature of Olympic gold.

A tradition rooted in history

The last time pure gold medals were awarded at the Olympic Games was in 1912 during the Stockholm Games. Since then, the design has evolved to balance cost, tradition, and prestige while preserving the honor associated with victory.

For the thousands of athletes competing in Italy, however, the medal’s true worth extends far beyond its metal composition. The sacrifices, years of training, and lifelong dreams attached to that podium moment far outweigh the $2,500 valuation.

At Milano Cortina, gold is measured not in grams—but in legacy.