The process of replacing damaged medals won by Azerbaijani athletes at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will begin in February 2026, said Murad Farzaliyev, spokesperson for the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan (NOC), Report informs.
He noted that the NOC had formally addressed the issue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier this year:
"Various preparatory steps have been ongoing in response to this issue. According to the latest information we received, the medal replacement process for our athletes will start in February 2026."
Out of the 7 Azerbaijani athletes who earned medals at Paris 2024, 5 have reported visible deterioration in their medals. Only judo Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and freestyle wrestling bronze medalist Magomedkhan Magomedov (97 kg) have not experienced any noticeable issues.
The affected medals include:
Zelim Kotsoyev (judo, 100 kg) – gold
Qashim Magomedov (taekwondo, 58 kg) – silver
Alfonso Dominguez (boxing, 92 kg) – silver
Hasrat Jafarov (Greco-Roman wrestling, 67 kg) – bronze
Giorgi Meshvildishvili (freestyle wrestling, 125 kg) – bronze
