Birmingham 2022 has unveiled the official medals which will be awarded to athletes at the Commonwealth Games this summer. The exquisite, jewel-like medals have been designed by three students from Birmingham’s School of Jewellery.
The designers took inspiration from the journey that athletes take to reach their goal of competing at the Birmingham 2022 Games, and so embossed areas, symbolising an aerial map of the host region’s road and canal network, have been included as a key feature of the design.
The medals are being manufactured by Toye, Kenning and Spencer in Birmingham’s world-renowned Jewellery Quarter, a location which is included on the Birmingham 2022 marathon route and is just a stone’s throw away from Arena Birmingham, one of the key venues for the Games which will begin on 28 July.
The medal was designed by a group of students led by Amber Alys, with Francesca Wilcox and Catarina Rodrigues Caeiro also part of the winning team that has designed the ribbon and the box for the medal too.
The three students, along with dozens of others, individually entered a competition organised by the School of Jewellery and the Birmingham 2022 team, and as they moved through the judging process, they were brought together as a team.
The medal and ribbon have been designed with all athletes competing in the 19 sports and eight Para sports in mind.
The medal has been created so that is it textured and has a tactile quality, so all athletes, and especially those with a visual impairment, can feel the design.
The ribbon attached to the medal is also adjustable, so that it sits comfortably when worn, no matter the height of the athlete or Para athlete wearing it.
“Helping Amber, Catarina and Francesca bring their designs to life has been such a rewarding experience for us,” said Chief Executive of Toye, Kenning and Spencer, Charles Toye.
“They are very different to other medals as they are not a traditional shape so that was challenging for us, but I think together we have created something which is truly special.”
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