I forgot to post about it last night but yesterday the medals for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games were unveiled. I think they are beautiful and rich with meaning, if you take time to hear the heart behind their creation.

… The medals, revealed today, each feature a different crop of larger contemporary Aboriginal artworks and are undulating rather than flat — both firsts in Games history.

The dramatic form of the Vancouver 2010 medals is inspired by the ocean waves, drifting snow and mountainous landscape found in the Games region and throughout Canada. The Olympic medals are circular in shape, while the Paralympic medals are a superellipse, or squared circle… Their significant weight — between 500 grams to 576 g depending on the medal — represents the magnitude of the athlete’s accomplishment…

The medals are based on two large master artworks of an orca whale (Olympic) and raven (Paralympic) by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian designer/artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver, BC. Each of the medals has a unique hand-cropped section of the abstract art, making every medal one-of-a-kind.

For example, each medal will include its own signature elements of the orca and raven artwork, such as the suggestion of the orca’s eye, the curve of its dorsal fin, or perhaps the contours of the raven’s wing. A silk scarf printed with the master artwork will be presented to each Olympian or Paralympian with their medal enabling them to see how their medal connects with those awarded to other athletes at the Games to make the whole design.

On the reverse side, the medals contain the official names of the Games in English and French, the official languages of Canada and the Olympic Movement, as well as Vancouver 2010’s distinctive emblems and the name of the sport and the event the medal was awarded in. On the Paralympic medals, braille is also used…

The Games motto With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploits is written in white lettering on the medal’s blue and green ribbon where it will rest at the base of the neck. (read the whole article on vancouver2010.com)

I think they did a great job pulling together many elements to make a meaningful award for the athletes. If you’re interested, CTV has a slideshow of Winter Olympic medals since 1924.

I’m getting so excited for the Games, I just know we’re going to finally win gold on Canadian soil. And you’re all probably getting Olympic gear for Christmas so just be prepared.

Here are some shots of the medal unveiling…

Olympic Games medals

Paralympic Games medals