Medal Matter
As the Diversified Minerals and Medals Sponsor for the Beijing 2008
Olympic Games, BHP Billiton is proud to provide the raw materials required
to produce the bronze, silver and gold medals.
BHP Billiton provided the silver for the production of the Melbourne 2006
Commonwealth Games’ silver medals. Prior to this, BHP (now BHP
Billiton), was the official provider of the raw materials for the production
of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ medals.
More than one tonne of silver, sourced from BHP’s Cannington
operation, Australia, was used to provide the silver for all medals, including
the base for the gold and bronze medals for the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic
Games.
In addition, as the Official Supplier of Steel for the Sydney 2000 Games,
BHP supplied more than 130,000 tonnes of steel products for the Sydney Games
venues and related infrastructure.
Medals Design Competition
WINNING DESIGN UNVEILED
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG)
is TODAY announcing the final design of the Olympic medals. BOCOG and
BHP Billiton partnered over 12 months ago in the inaugural Olympic medals design
competition in China which has led us to this final design.
For the first time in Olympic history, the design of the much coveted Olympic
medals was opened to the public, via a nationwide competition across China.
With an overwhelming level of interest and response to the competition, BHP
Billiton is honoured to have committed to this event and the subsequent integral,
rigorous and highly protected judging process, to arrive at the selection of
the winning design from a high level of outstanding entries.
Details of the winning design will be posted to this site as soon as information
is made available by BOCOG.
About the Competition
In January 2006, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG)
launched a nationwide competition across China, to design the medals for the
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The medals design competition was run in
partnership with BHP Billiton, as the Diversified Minerals and Medals Sponsor
of the Games. As part of our sponsorship, BHP Billiton
provided financial support to the medals design competition and company representatives
were part of the preliminary judging panel. BHP Billiton will supply
the raw materials for the winning designs to be produced into gold, silver
and bronze medals.
BHP Billiton Chief Executive Officer, Chip Goodyear, said the competition would
be an exciting part of the lead up to the Olympic Games.
“This competition will provide China’s artistic and design community
with the rare opportunity of being able to get personally involved the 2008
Olympic Games in Beijing. This is a far reaching community program that
gives talented people throughout China the chance to create their own Olympic
legacy.
“As a company with a long and proud association with China, we are very
honoured to be so intimately involved with the Games and the medals design
competition. This competition is a great way for the Chinese to leave
their lasting legacy on the Olympics, by directly influencing the medals that
will be coveted by all who participate in the Games.”
The design proposals were expected to interpret the themes and values of
the Olympic movement with Chinese culture, style and spirit.