Late last month Tokyo 2020 organizers revealed the designs for the Olympic Games medals, but now the Paralympic medals have been revealed.
Also set to be manufactured from recycled precious metals extracted from mobile phones and small electronic devices donated by the public, the gold, silver and bronze Paralympic medals reflect traditional Japanese fan motif designs. Kaname, or pivot point, holds all parts of the fan together, representing Para-athletes bringing people together regardless of the nationality or ethnicity, per Tokyo2020.org.
Unique to the medals is the fact that Braille letters spell out Tokyo 2020 on each one’s face, with a series of circular indentations on the side of the medals to distinguish gold, silver, and bronze by touch.
Motifs on the leaves of the fan depict the vitality of people’s hearts and symbolize Japan’s captivating and life-giving natural environment in the form of rocks, flowers, trees, leaves, and water. These are applied with a variety of techniques, producing a textured surface that makes the medals compelling to touch, say organizers.
The Paralympic Torch Relay’s route, uniforms for torchbearers and the torch design itself have also been revealed by Tokyo 2020 organizers. The weight and grip of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Torch have been specially produced to ensure that it is easy for absolutely anyone to hold – regardless of age or gender.
