Design of Beijing 2008 Paralympic Medals Released

Leading officials of BOCOG and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, Paralympic athletes as well as representative of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Medal Sponsor BHP Billiton participated in the unveiling.

The design concept and pattern of the medals for the Beijing 2008 Paralympics are similar to the one for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Made out of gold, silver, bronze and jade, the medals perfectly signify the concept of “One World One Dream” and meet the requirements of “Two Games, Equal Splendor”.

Research and planning for the medal design already started in November 2006. An analysis of the experiences from previous Paralympic Games led to the formulation of the concepts, requirements, creation methods and development scheme for the Beijing Paralympic Medals.

Based on the experience of the design for the Beijing Olympic Games, specific designers were invited to create the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Medals. The designers are from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Academy of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University and China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation. All of the designers had submitted entries in the campaign seeking design schemes for the Beijing Olympic Games medals.

The materials, distinctiveness, weight, measurements and pattern of the medals for the Paralympic Games have met the strict approval of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).