A story for all the Olympic couch-potatoes out there. A few days ago, Paul Kelso, a Sky news reporter tweeted: Hearing an Olympic kayaker may have capsized after hitting a submerged sofa. Story of day & possibly the week if true. #kayaksofa #Rio2016.
If the story is true, it would not be the first time. Two years ago we posted: “It can get really disgusting, with dog carcasses in some places and the water turning brown from sewage contamination,” said Thomas Low-Beer, 24, a Brazilian Olympic hopeful who sails in the bay. He shuddered when recalling how his dinghy crashed into what he believed was a partly submerged sofa, capsizing him into the murky Guanabara.
The problem is not just floating furniture. Once knocked over by a sofa, love seat or divan, the athlete is pitched into sewage tainted waters with nasty viruses and bacteria thrown into the mix. German sailor Erik Heil was hospitalized in Berlin and underwent surgery to treat inflammation and skin infections after competing in a test event in August.
Of course, after word of the submerged sofa got out, the hash tag #kayaksofa started to trend on Twitter. Also not surprising, a new Twitter account has appeared, @riokayaksofa.
https://twitter.com/riokayaksofa/status/761818345805058048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/riokayaksofa/status/762618717888839680
https://twitter.com/riokayaksofa/status/761957707611983878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Not worth the risk of infection for a lousy fake gold medal!
The last Olympic gold medal that was actually made from gold was awarded in 1912. So, if Olympic gold medals aren’t gold, then what are they? The specific composition and design of Olympic medals is determined by the host city’s organizing committee. However, certain standards must be maintained:
•Gold and silver medals are 92.5% silver.
•Gold medals must be plated with at least 6 grams of gold.
•All Olympic medals must be at least 3 mm thick and at least 60 mm in diameter.
Bronze medals are bronze, an alloy of copper and usually tin. It’s worth noting that gold, silver, and bronze medals have not always been awarded. At the 1896 Olympic Games, the winners were awarded silver medals, while the runners-up got bronze medals.
After the 1912 Olympics the gold medals have been gilded silver rather than real gold.
Although the Olympic gold medal is more silver than gold, there are gold medals that are really gold, such as the Congressional Gold Medal and Nobel Prize Medal. Before 1980 the Nobel Prize medal was made from 23 carat gold. Newer Nobel Prize medals are 18 carat green gold plated with 24 carat gold.
chemistry.about.com/od/metalsalloys/f/what_are_olympic_medals_made_of.htm
I should have invested in Silver back in the 90s when it was about $5 and ounce!
Today silver price: Silver Price Per Ounce $19.79