Running News Daily

Medals for Oregon22 World Athletics Championships unveiled

The medals for the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships have been unveiled with only a few days to go before the competition begins.

This year’s medals have deviated from its traditional makeup by being made of Corian, which has been inlaid with a metal, to allow the design to have a finely detailed carving.

The shape and weight have also changed alongside the attachment of the ribbon.

One side of the medal uses the cross-section of a tree as inspiration with seven rings symbolising the seven regions of the hosts, as well as the outer rim textured to feel like tree bark.

The logo of the competition is also in the centre of the medal.

The other side has seven full rings, to represent Oregon’s regions, in addition to it paying homage to Oregon Tapestry, which is also shown on the ribbon.

"It was imperative that our medals were true to the unique, unmissable, unconventional nature of the first World Athletics Championships on US soil," Niels de Vos, executive director of Oregon22 LLC, said

"Months of cutting-edge creative thought and experimentation into the latest manufacturing techniques went into the medals, designed and fabricated right here in Oregon.

"The medals are won by athletes as a result of a lifetime of dedication and commitment.

"They are the best in the world, and our team wanted to ensure a medal which reflected that status."

Instant medals have been introduced for the first time in track and field where each medallist will receive their respected colour immediately after their finals.

This is designed to give athletes the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments in the moment and to share it with their family and friends.

Full medal ceremonies with national anthems are planned to take place after.

Medals are set to be claimed in 49 event disciplines and on every day of the multi-sport competition.

The United States will seek to defend their mixed 4x400 metre relay on the opening day, scheduled for July 15, which could see the gold medallists break a world record.

The Championships is set to conclude on July 24.

"The primary goal that drove the design process was to create something truly innovative and glorious that would be immediately recognizable in years to come as Oregon's medals," Jessica Gabriel, communications director of Oregon22 LLC said.

"We worked with Oregon-based companies to centre the project in this place, and together we challenged ourselves to create works of art that would symbolise the significance of an athlete capturing the glory of a global medal here in the heart and home of track and field in the US."