The prize and commemorative medals of the 2nd European Games were presented in Mir Castle exactly a month before the start of the multi-sport event.
The location of the medal presentation was not chosen by chance. The presentation is taking place on the same day as the torch relay for the “Flame of Peace” has reached Mir. The relay symbolises the core principles of the Olympic movement: understanding, friendship, an atmosphere of solidarity and global unity, as well as the harmonious development of the human body and soul.
The main symbol of the Games – the magical flower “Paparats Kvetka” – was incorporated into the medal design, which was conceived by Brama Branding company.
Medal legend
The shape of the medal is a classical circle in the middle of which there appear to be sunbeams with fuzzy outlines. This is exactly how the sun looks on a bright summer day – a nod to the season when the 2nd European Games will be held. The end of June is the hottest time during the Belarusian summer when the sun seems to be melting in the sky. A design without any sharp edges also symbolises the main characteristics of the Belarusian people: softness, friendliness, heartiness and a closeness to nature. The diameter of the medal – 9.5 cm – comes about from the 9.5 million people who live in Belarus. The case for the medals, made from wood, will add to the cozy feel and warmth of the prize. It brings forth associations with traditional Belarusian crafts, Belarusian nature and, in part, with forests. It is here in the very heart of Europe, as legend claims, that the magical flower Paparats Kvetka blooms and makes dreams come true.
George Katulin, CEO of Minsk European Games Organising Committee noted:
“The medals presentation for any multi-sport event of this level is one of the key moments not only for the organising team but also for the participating countries of the Games and, most importantly, for the athletes themselves. It is at this moment that the goals for which they have trained so hard for such a long time acquire a concrete form. The first medals will reach their owners exactly a month from now.”
The body of the medals is made from a special alloy – tompack. Precious metals are also used for making the medals, including 24K gold, pure silver and bronze, depending on the level of the prize. Nano-diamonds are used for strengthening the precious coating of the medals – this is a patented technology developed by Belarusian scientists. A quadrillion (1015) of nano-diamonds is needed for making one gold medal.
The production process for one medal, which includes traditional embossing technology and nano technologies, takes about 20 hours. The weight of one medal is about 540 grams. Its diameter is 9.5 cm and its width is around 1 cm.
A total of 1,084 medals will be made for the 2nd European Games, including 329 gold and silver medals, as well as 426 bronze medals. The name of the sport and the discipline in which the medal is awarded will be engraved on the back of each medal. Each medal will be packed in a wooden case made from hardwoods, which will have the logo of the Games embossed on the top in a colour that corresponds with the medal (first place – gold, second place – silver, third place – bronze).
In addition to the medals awarded for top results in the Games competitions, there will be commemorative medals, which will be awarded to all participants of the 2nd European Games and officials that make up the sports delegations from different countries. They will be smaller copies of the medals given to competition winners.
The 2nd European Games will take place in Minsk from 21 to 30 June 2019 across 12 sporting venues. More than 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete for 200 sets of medals in 15 sports. Competitions in eight sports will double as qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Tickets to the competitions of the 2nd European Games will be available through the kiosks of the official ticket seller Ticketpro, as well as the website minsk2019.ticketpro.by. Tickets range in price from 5 Belarusian rubles (equivalent to 2 euros) to 50 Belarusian rubles (equivalent to 20 euros). Tickets to the Opening Ceremony cost from 150 to 300 Belarusian rubles, depending on the seat category. The price of tickets to the Closing Ceremony is slightly less, from 70 to 150 Belarusian rubles. Tickets sold in kiosks cost the same as those sold on the website minsk2019.ticketpro.by.
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