FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Medals revealed in celebration of 10 days to go until
the World Athletics Championships Oregon22
EUGENE, Ore. - With 10 days until the start of the first World Athletics
Championships on U.S. soil (July 15–24), the local organizing committee
(LOC) today unveiled the medals for the event.
The first medals will be won in the stadium and on the roads on the very
first day of competition. On the opening night, Team USA looks to defend
their world title in the mixed 4x400m relay, where a world record will
likely be needed to take gold. Medals will be won in 49 event disciplines
and on each of the ten days of competition, with fans able to watch finals
in 12 of the 16 in-stadium sessions and in all 6 of the free road events.
"It was imperative that our medals were true to the unique, unmissable,
unconventional nature of the first World Athletics Championships on U.S.
soil," said Niels de Vos, Executive Director of Oregon22, LLC. "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 the 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.”
In a first for track and field, Instant Medals will be awarded to the three
medal-winning athletes in the immediate moments after their finals. Full
medal ceremonies with national anthems will still take place, but this
additional celebratory component of Instant Medals is designed for athletes
to commemorate their individual victory ‘in the moment’ and to share that
moment with family and friends.
There is something uniquely powerful about the interaction between an
athlete and the medal they have earned. By including the medals in the
initial emotional aftermath of their medal-winning performance, athletes
will be able to experience their triumph more fully, feeling the weight of
their accomplishment around their necks right after earning it and proudly
displaying their victory during a lap of honor and in post-event media
interviews. At the end of the mixed zone interviews, the medals will be
taken back from the athletes for engraving ahead of the official
presentation on the podium as scheduled.
The medals depart from the traditional die-cast variety, using instead the
ultra-modern and durable material of Corian, which has been subsequently
inlaid with the relevant precious metal. The use of Corian enables the
finely detailed carving of intricate relief work featured in the designs -
something just not possible using conventional medal techniques.
While traditional in shape and weight, the medals will look very different,
even down to the attachment of the ribbon, which uses a bar inserted inside
the body of the medal to ensure both longevity and the maintenance of clean
design lines.
One side of the medals is inspired by the cross-section of a tree, complete
with seven rings to represent the seven regions of Oregon with the logo of
WCH Oregon22 at its heart. The tactile experience is completed by the outer
edge of each medal, which is textured to feel like tree bark.
View Medals
The other side features one of seven landscapes that showcase the seven
regions of Oregon. These dramatic scenes carry echoes of the marble
sculptures and white Art Deco facades of the great public buildings in the
United States, including Oregon’s State Capitol. These landscape elements
are fundamental to WCH Oregon22's brand as represented through its Oregon
Tapestry. The tapestry is also showcased on the ribbon, juxtaposing a rich
color palette to the immaculate, striking form of the medal.
All seven regions are represented across each color of medal - so if an
athlete wins multiple medals, each one can feature a different Oregon
relief. This innovation of making different medals was made for two
reasons. First, to infuse each award with a sense of individuality and
pricelessness - essentially, to heighten each medal moment with an
opportunity for surprise and delight as the athlete discovers the distinct
scene represented on their medal. Second, to highlight the beauty of the
entirety of the State of Oregon, from its mountains and rivers to its
coastline and forests.
"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," said Jessica Gabriel, Communications
Director of Oregon22, LLC. "We worked with Oregon-based companies to center
the project in this place, and together we challenged ourselves to create
works of art that would symbolize the significance of an athlete capturing
the glory of a global medal here in the heart and home of track and field
in the U.S."
In collaboration with the LOC, Eugene-based creative agency AHM Brands and
Portland-based fabrication company Steelab executed on this lofty vision.
Tickets for WCH Oregon22 can be purchased here. The complete schedule of
events can be found here.
About Oregon22, LLC
Oregon22, LLC is the local organizing committee managing the 18th edition
of the World Athletics Championships. The World Athletics Championships
Oregon22 will be held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon and will
be delivered in partnership with USA Track & Field. It is the first time
the competition will take place in the United States, with 2,000 athletes
from more than 200 nations expected to compete July 15–24, 2022. Oregon22,
LLC is committed to delivering an unmissable experience that will showcase
the State of Oregon and the sport of track and field globally.
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