Olympic Athletes Will Put On Their Own Medals At Tokyo Games

While the IOC promises that the games will be safe and like no other, some long-time traditions will be eliminated to protect against spreading the coronavirus.

The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach announced Wednesday, “The medals will not be given around the neck,” Bach told international media on a conference call from Tokyo. “They will be presented to the athlete on a tray and then the athlete will take the medal him or herself.”

“It will be made sure that the person who will put the medal on the tray will do so only with disinfected gloves so that the athlete can be sure that nobody touched them before,” Bach added.

The IOC had previously said medalists and ceremony officials would have to wear masks.

The Tokyo Olympics open July 23 in a state of emergency and rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the city.