MILAN — Ellie Kam wasn’t not going to let her 2026 Winter Olympics gold medal leave her while sleeping.
The pairs skater with Danny O’Shea was part of the Team USA squad that won the figure skating team event in thrilling fashion, with their triumphant free skate playing a major role in the first place finish. It was the first medal for the duo making their Olympic debut, and Kam revealed to USA TODAY Sports she kept it close by the time she fell asleep.
“I slept with mine under my pillow,’ Kam said. ‘It’s cushioned, it’s not going to go anywhere, it’s not going to fall off, unless I have a crazy rumble tumble in my sleep. But I don’t think that’s going to happen, so I think we’re safe there.’
Kam and O’Shea showed off their medals on Monday, Feb. 9 as there other athletes have had issues with their medals breaking. Speed skier Breezy Johnson was the first American to win gold in Milano Cortina and while celebrating, the medal came off its ribbon. She said her medal is not ‘crazy broken, but it’s a little broken.’
She wasn’t the only one to have issues. Kam and O’Shea’s teammate Alysa Liu also had her medal detach from the ribbon, documenting it on social media. Both Kam and O’Shea said the medals are ‘really hefty’ and said they can understand why there have been issues with them so early in the Games.
‘They’re very substantial and real metal, and I think that’s why people are having issues with it because it’s maybe a little bit stronger than the ribbon,’ he said. ‘But that’s what you want in an Olympic medal, right? Something that’s solid. I’m so happy with it.’
The gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics are 506 grams, but includes just six grams of gold. The rest of it consists of silver, according to organizers. The Olympic medals have a diameter of about 80 millimeters and are around 10 millimeters thick.