Olympic skateboarder Nyjah Huston has raised eyebrows with his Paris 2024 bronze medal, which appears to have deteriorated significantly in just ten days. Huston, who won the medal on July 29, took to Instagram to showcase the damage, revealing a dull, rusted surface with noticeable chipping.
In his Instagram story, Huston expressed his surprise at the medal’s condition, stating, “Alright, so these Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think.” He further commented, “I mean, look at that thing. It’s looking rough. Even the front. It’s starting to chip off a little. So yeah, I don’t know, Olympic medals, you maybe gotta step up the quality a little bit.” Huston added that the medal “looks like it went to war and back.”
The Paris 2024 medals feature a sliver of the Eiffel Tower, symbolizing the host city. Bronze medals, typically made of copper, zinc, and tin, are prone to tarnishing when exposed to moisture and air. The rapid degradation of Huston’s medal could be attributed to the alloy’s composition and exposure to sweat and moisture.

Neeraj Gupta, a sculptor, explained that exposure to moisture accelerates decay in alloys, especially those with cheaper metals. In response to Huston’s concerns, a Paris 2024 spokesperson assured that athletes would receive replacements for any damaged medals. “Paris 2024 is aware of a social media report from an athlete whose medal is showing damage a few days after it was awarded,” said the spokesperson. “We are working closely with the Monnaie de Paris and the athlete’s National Olympic Committee to assess the situation and address the issue.”
Huston, a six-time world champion and 12-time gold medalist at the Summer X Games, is typically accustomed to gold medals, making his experience with this bronze award particularly notable.