KAZAN, Russia, July 8 (R-Sport) – They are supposed to be symbols of victory, but medals that shatter into pieces when dropped have caused some unwelcome surprises for victorious athletes at the World University Games in Kazan.
One of the victims is Chinese diver Qin Tian, who won bronze in the men’s three-meter springboard diving competition Sunday.
“I was very disappointed at that moment,” he told R-Sport. “I just accidentally dropped it on the floor and it broke. The organizers were very kind and gave me a new one.”
Qin, who later won silver in the one-meter event, said he had learned to be gentle with the Universiade medals, which feature a central emblem attached to the rim with a spindly structure.
“Now I have two medals and I’m going to take care of them very carefully,” he said.
Russian freestyle belt wrestler Azamat Laipanov’s gold medal met a similar fate after he won the 68-kilogram competition Sunday.
“We’ll get home and we’ll fix it,” he said with a smile.
The University Games run through July 17 in the central Russian city of Kazan.
