Olympic medal the 2004 Summer Olympics the competitors on the podium also received an olive wreath crown. In the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, each medalist received a wooden statuette of the Olympic logo. Olympic medal An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal: gold, awarded to the winner; silver, awarded to the 1st runner-up; and bronze, awarded to the second runner-up. The granting of awards is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocols. Medal designs have varied considerably since the first Olympic Games in 1896, particularly
Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics At the 1896 Summer Olympics, three fencing events were contested at the Zappeion. They were prepared and organized by the Sub-Committee for Fencing. The épée event for men was cancelled. All fencing was done to three touches. Events were held on 7 April and 9 April 1896. 15 athletes from four nations competed; 8 fencers from 3 nations won one medal each. These medals are retroactively assigned by the International Olympic Committee; at the time, winners were given a silver medal. A total of 15 fencers from four nations competed at the Athens Games: