Sound Of Medals At Paralympics 2016: Rio Mark Debut Of Medals With Sounds When Shake

September 15, 2016

For the first time ever, the Paralympic medals will have a new audio feature: when shaken, they have sounds. It was designed for Rio 2016 to help visually impaired athletes differentiate between the three kinds of medals. The sound is made by tiny metallic spheres that rattle inside, creating the “medal music” when athletes shake them.

Gold medals receive 28 spheres, the silver have 20, and bronze get 18, which means that each medal has a unique sound. “We wanted to begin a new way to celebrate on the podium. Usually [athletes] bite the medal, and now we want them to make this movement,” explained Olympics design manager Dalcacio Reis, while shaking the medals.

Paralympic medals are usually a bit different than those of the Olympics, as they have messages in braille, for instance. In the current Paralympics, however, athletes are incorporating the habit of shake the medals to hear their sound. This could be considered another legacy of Rio 2016.

(Plus55 )