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Manu Bhaker’s Paris Olympics Medals Damaged, IOC Reveals

India's star pistol shooter, Manu Bhaker, is expected to have her 2 Paris Olympics bronze medals replaced with identical versions, as she is among a big group of athletes who have reported damage to their medals.  Many athletes worldwide have shared pictures of their worn-out medals on social media in the recent days. Reports say that the color of Bhaker's medals has "come off" and they "have been in that state" for quite some time. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that damaged medals will be replaced in a systematic way by the Monnaie de Paris (the French state mint) and engraved to match the originals. The iron pieces embedded in the center of each Olympic medal weigh 18 grams (about two-thirds of an ounce). Monnaie de Paris is a state-owned entity that is responsible for minting coins and currency in France. The Paris Olympics organizing committee is working closely with Monnaie de Paris to replace all damaged or defective medals in the forthcoming  weeks. The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic medals in Paris had featured pieces from the iconic Eiffel Tower. The 5,084 gold, silver, & bronze medals for Paris 2024 were designed by luxury jewelry and watch brand Chaumet, part of the LVMH conglomerate, and produced by Monnaie de Paris. Bhaker became the 1st Indian since Independence to win two medals in a single Olympic edition. She kicked off India's medal tally at the Games and secured a bronze in the individual 10m air pistol event, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting. Manu later teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to win bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. READ MORE -  Tsunami Warning Issued After 6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Japan