May 05, (THEWILL) – After a narrowboat ride around Birmingham city’s waterways, the medals that will be handed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to be hosted by the English city were unveiled on Wednesday.
Athletes met with organisers along the canal, including Hannah Cockroft, a seven-time Paralympic gold medalist in athletics, who will compete in the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
The medals were designed by an all-female team, led by Amber Alys, who won a competition organised by the School of Jewellery and Birmingham 2022.
It took 15 months to complete the design process. The medals have a diameter of 63 millimetres and a length of 74.3 millimetres. The gold and silver medals are 150 grammes each, while the bronze medal is 130 grammes.
The awards also include an adjustable ribbon created by Francesca Wilcox to accommodate competitors of all sizes.
For production, the organisers turned to Toye, Kenning and Spencer, headquartered in Birmingham’s renowned Jewellery Quarter, who have produced a total of 1,875 medals. The company’s headquarters are also on the marathon route for the Commonwealth Games.
Speaking excitedly about the designs, Alys said: “I started doing research looking at the history of Birmingham as a city, making mood boards looking at Commonwealth Games medals.
“There were lots of sources of inspiration really. The medal is actually an aerial map of Birmingham, with roads and canals, which is stylised to reflect the light.
“But on closer inspection you can see that it is a road map of Birmingham. It has been a long process, there were strict specifications we had to design to.
“Weight and size were limiting factors and there had to be space for the branding and engraving the athletes’ names. We wanted to create something with a jewel-like quality so that the athletes had something that they could treasure for the rest of their lives.
“We really hope the athletes like them.”
Paralympian Cockroft, who checked out the medals at the unveiling, said: “I wanted to have a good close inspection of what I want, to have a bit of motivation. They are beautiful, really nice, really unique, quite a different shape to any medal I have had before.
“To have an adjustable medal is really, really important. All the other medals just sit on my lap but these ones, should I win one, I will actually be able to put on as they will be a suitable length for me.”
All athletes, including those with visual impairments, will be able to feel the design because the medal is textured and has a tactile quality. Medal winners will also receive a case for the medal, which was designed by Catarina Rodrigues Caeiro, a team member.
There will be 283 victory celebrations for events at the Games in all. There will be more women’s events than men’s for the first time.
Members of the Royal Family, famous previous champions and volunteers, as well as Commonwealth Games Federation and other sports leaders, are scheduled to present medals.
The Games will start on July 28 and the first medals will be given out the next day.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
