From Deseret News archives:
Olympic medals, Olympic mascots
A new design for the front side has been created by artist Elena Votsi for the 2004 Games, featuring the Greek Panathenic Stadium (where the modern Olympics were revived in 1896) and a new image of Nike. Based on a statue carved in 421 B.C., which was kept in the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, the new image shows Nike, the winged personification of victory in the stadium as well as on the battlefield, flying into the stadium as if to crown the winners with a wreath.
The reverse side of every medal is unique to each Olympic Games and is designed by the host city. The 2004 medals will depict the eternal flame, the opening lines of Pindar's 8th Olympic Ode (composed in 460 B.C. to honor the victory of Alkimedon of Aegina in wrestling) and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games emblem.
Today's gold medals are actually sterling silver covered with a thin coat of gold. Olympic medals must be 68 mm across and 3m thick. The gold and silver medals must contain at least 92.5 percent silver, and at least 6 grams of 24-carat gold must coat each gold medal. Bronze medals contain copper, zinc, tin and a very small amount of silver.
The copper for the 2004 Athens Olympics medals came from Cyprus. It was transported to Greece in June in a full-scale replica of the ancient Greek merchant ship Kyrenia, which sank off the coast more than 2,000 years ago.
Athena and Phevos are brother and sister and the official Athens 2004 mascots. Their creation was inspired by an ancient Greek doll and their names are linked to ancient Greece. Phevos was the name of the Olympian god of light and music and was also known as Apollo. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and patron of the city of Athens. Athena and Phevos represent the values of Olympism: participation, brotherhood, equality, cooperation and fair play.
Athena and Phevos are brother and sister, a boy and a girl, symbols of equality and brotherhood around the world. The mascots are showcased as children, simple and joyful, full of vitality and creativity, reminding us that humanity was, is and will remain at the heart of the Olympic Games.
Resources: Medals: www.athens2004.com; www.eurosport.com; Mascots: www.msnbc.msn.com; www.nycolympics.com
Comments
On Aug. 3, students were encouraged to submit their ideas for Olympic medals and mascots. Six of them are illustrated here, starting at the left, clockwise: A medal for ball players, Jeni, age 12; a medal for street champions, Jill, age12; a medal for celebrating summer, Brandon, age 12; a mascot that doesn't want to compete in the nude, Jaylyn; A mascot for water sports, Whitney; Tyler Hamilton, of the U.S., holds up his gold medal after the men's road individual time trial of the 2004 Olympic Games in the outskirts of Athens, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004; a trojan warrior mascot, Alex, age 11; the offical medals. At center, these are the official Athens 2004 Olympics mascots, Athena and Phevos.
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