This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/10/2022
Featured here is a bronze winner’s medal from the 1968 Grenoble (France) Winter Olympics awarded for Giant Slalom. These were the first Games that allowed East and West Germany to participate separately, and the first time the IOC ever ordered drug and gender testing of competitors. 37 nations participated with 1158 athletes across 35 events in just five sports. Norway finished with the most medals – the first time Russia did not lead the overall medal count since they began competing in the Winter Olympics in 1956. It’s unknown whether this bronze was for men’s or women’s Giant Slalom. Fernande Bochatay of Switzerland finished third in the women’s event and Heini Messner of Austria took bronze in the men’s event.
This scarce third place winner's medal is made of pure bronze, measuring 60 mm in diameter, 4 mm thick and weighing 114 grams (124 g with ribbon). Designed by Roger Excoffon, the obverse has "GRENOBLE 1968" and the '68 Winter Games emblem within the French legend “Xemes JEUX OLYMPIQUES D.HIVER.” The reverse has an abstract depiction of an alpine skier leaning into a turn with the name of the event "SLALOM GEANT" in French. This marked the first time an Olympic winner’s medal identified the sport/event on one side.
All winner's medals from the '68 Winter Games were designed with a loop and multicolor ribbon to wear around the neck. This ribbon is all-original in exceptional, problem-free condition measuring 18" long (36" if cut and fully stretched). The medal itself remains in outstanding shape with light-to-moderate handling, its only blemish being a nick on the bottom edge to the left of the "BR" hallmark for bronze. The medal is housed in its original black presentation box (problem-free in great shape) emblazoned with the Grenoble Games emblem on the exterior and lined with white velvet on the interior. A total of 250 bronze medals were struck at these Games, but we know that only one other awarded looks exactly like this on the reverse side.