With exactly one year to go until the Tokyo Olympics open, organizers marked the day by unveiling the gold, silver, and bronze medals that will symbolize the 2020 Games.
But the medals this year have a special twist – they are all completely made of recycled electronic gadgets.
Japanese designer Junichi Kawanishi wrote that the medals are to “resemble rough stones that have been polished and which now shine with light and brilliance.” The front side carries the Tokyo Olympic emblem, with the Greek goddess of victory on the back.
In April 2017, a two-year campaign was launched, “Everyone’s Medal” which saw over 80,000 tons of gadgets donated by the public including 6.21 million cellphones.
According to CBS, from the donations, it extracted 32kg of gold, 2,500 kg of silver and 2,200 kg of bronze for approximately 5,000 medals needed.
Tokyo is spending about $20 billion to prepare the city to host the games, though exact Olympic spending is disputed and difficult to track. Five of the eight new venues are already finished, and the centerpiece, the $1.25 billion National Stadium, is to open by the end of the year.
The games will be held July 24-Aug. 9, 2020.
AP Sports Writer Stephen Wade contributed to this article.
Photo: Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals are unveiled during a One Year to Go Olympic Ceremony Event in Tokyo Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Gold, silver, and bronze Olympic medals were to get their first public viewing on Wednesday as Tokyo organizers marked exactly a year until the games open. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
