Column | With Girardelli at the medal ceremony

Just in case you're planning a trip to Paris: You can visit the Eiffel Tower without worry. The structure is holding up, even though iron from the tower was incorporated into the medals for last year's Paris Olympics. We shouldn't imagine that workers took a grinder and simply cut out a few pieces. The material for this had long been stored in a shed from previous renovation work. Essentially a clever idea. Using leftovers. Very contemporary.

However, iron is naturally very vulnerable. When exposed to moisture, rust forms – a water-based iron oxide compound that has devastating effects and can lead to the complete destruction of iron or steel. The Eiffel Tower has therefore already received 19 coats of paint to protect it from corrosion. 60 tons of paint are required each time, and 25 painters are deployed to coat the 250.000 square meters of iron. 1500 brushes are needed, as the paint is not sprayed. No, the protective paint is applied by hand, and dense nets are strung over it to prevent tourists from getting paint splashed on their heads during this process. Each coat takes one and a half years.

A piece of the Eiffel Tower in the medal Perhaps the organizing committee of last year's Olympic Games simply forgot to include a brush and paint with the medals. The coveted trophies began to rust after just a short time. More than 100 athletes have already returned their awards and received new ones without much complaint. "Guaranteed rust-free" might be what the package insert says. It's a real shame, though, because the idea of incorporating a piece of the Eiffel Tower into the medals was truly brilliant. The award itself was also unusual. The shape, a hexagon, symbolized the geographical shape of France.

Next year, the Winter Games will take place in Cortina. © AFP / PIERRE TEYSSOT

Italy, understandably, couldn't follow suit, given the 1200-kilometer-long track from north to south for Milan/Cortina, which is why the medals are as they are used to: round, simple, and without any foreign matter. Although there were certainly possibilities. A few parts of the old bobsleigh track in Cortina, which ultimately didn't make it until 2026, would have been in stock. A few dolomite stones would have been good. Okay, I know, that's not right, the Milanese would say, since the Dolomites are only partially part of the Olympic Games next year. But what about splinters that are, let's say, almost 2000 years old? From the arena in Verona, in fact, where the closing ceremony and the opening ceremony of the Paralympics will take place.

The third-largest surviving ancient amphitheater was built in 30 AD. Imagine if a piece of it had been preserved in a 2026 Olympic medal. The arena would have been able to withstand the damage without losing a single one of its cool, rocky seats, and it would have also been a beautiful symbol that the 2026 Games venues were finally completed without time pressure or lengthy discussions. The presentation of the medals in the historic Palazzo Balbi on Venice's Grand Canal at least demonstrated that the award ceremonies can now take place.

By helicopter to Medal Plaza? However, there won't be a "Medal Plaza" like the one seen at almost every Olympic Games. Given the scattered competition venues from Bormio to Antholz, a central plaza for the medal ceremony is simply not feasible. This is especially unfortunate for the athletes, as the central award ceremony for the Olympic medals has always been one of the highlights for the protagonists of the Games.

Although: With a helicopter squadron... It would have to make 195 takeoffs, because that's how many disciplines there are in Milan/Cortina next year. It would be doable. And you could even hire prominent pilots. Marc Girardelli, for example, has a license. I've flown with him myself and landed safely. So he could fly Dominik Paris or Dorothea Wierer to the medal ceremony. It's kind of a nice idea.

About the author: Sigi Heinrich The award-winning sports journalist (including the German Television Award, the Bavarian Sports Award, and a nominee for the prestigious Grimme Prize), a trained sports teacher, author, longtime sports editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and a commentator for Eurosport since 1989, devotes his weekly column to the entire spectrum of sports. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes thoughtfully, or deliberately provocatively. There should be something for everyone.

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Column | With Girardelli at the medal ceremony

There will likely be no "Medal Plaza," a central location for the awards ceremony, at the 2026 Olympic Games. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich is keen on the idea of taking to the skies to collect the medals that were recently unveiled in Venice. Guaranteed to be rust-free.

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