Find out about the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medals  

The Tokyo 2020 medals broke new ground with their tactile design elements. For the first time, the medals had circular indentations to show the type of medals received by the athletes. One indentation represented gold, two indentations meant silver and three indicated a bronze medal. To make the medals even more accessible for people with vision impairment, their front-facing surface had “Tokyo 2020” engraved in Braille letters.  

The accessibility features of the medals did not end there, as the ribbons included silicon convex dots that help the individuals with vision impairment to identify whether the medal is gold, silver or bronze simply by touch. One dot for gold, two for silver and three for bronze were included on the ribbon’s reverse side.  

 

The Design Elements of the Medals  

 

Inspired by traditional Japanese fans, the design of the Paralympic medal put Japanese culture in the spotlight. The shape of the ridged surface resembles a fan, which symbolises the fresh wind of shared experiences connecting people from all walks of life. The pivot point of the fan, which is called kaname in Japanese, represents diversity, since it holds parts of the fan together just like Para athletes who bring people together for the Games regardless of nationality or ethnicity. The leaves of the fan depict the beauty of Japan’s nature, with engraved shapes of rocks, flowers, trees, leaves and water. The combination of these elements made the medals very appealing to touch.  

 

Traditional Japanese design motifs were also used for the visual elements of the ribbons. The chequered pattern called “kumiichi matsumon” was a part of the ribbon’s design, in the Tokyo 2020 Games’ colours of indigo and crimson, representing the motto of “Unity in Diversity”.  

The medals, designed by Sakiko Matsumoto, came with indigo cases made of wood from Japanese Ash trees, hand-crafted by skilled artisans. Each case had a unique wood grain pattern by nature, which symbolised the diversity within Paralympic and Olympic Games. The cases had magnetised lids, allowing the athletes to display their medals within the linked rings of the case.

 

The Physical Attributes of the Tokyo 2020 Medals  

 

The medals were eco-friendly, thanks to their recycled metal content. Precious metals extracted from small electronic devices donated by the public were used in the production of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medals.  

The medals had a diameter of 8.5 centimetres and a thickness of 1 centimetre, with the gold medal weighing 530 grams.