The Goddess Nike at the Panathenaic Stadium with the Parthenon in the Background: The Design of the Olympic Medal Born from the Imagination of Creator Elena Votsi

The Olympic medal, designed by Elena Votsi for the 2004 Olympic Games, was decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consistently feature one of its sides for many years to come.

“Seeing the world’s top athletes wear the medal I designed is perhaps the strongest feeling of self-fulfillment. Something Greek at the center of attention, seen by millions of eyes worldwide. At that moment, I think Greece has earned the place it deserves,” says distinguished jewelry designer Elena Votsi, speaking to protothema.gr about her experience and the significance of the timelessness of the Olympic medal she designed in 2004.

How the Olympic Spirit Fit into the Medal – The Role of the Two Elevators

Jewelry designer Elena Votsi, who was a student of Dimitris Mytaras at the Athens School of Fine Arts, redesigned the Olympic medal in 2003. Her design was selected by the IOC to adorn one side of all Olympic medals from 2004 onwards, indefinitely, following a suggestion by the president of “Athens 2004,” Gianna Angelopoulos.

“Full of curiosity, I opened the sealed envelope from the IOC – I had no idea what it might be,” recalls Elena Votsi about that day in 2003 when she received the invitation to participate in the international competition. It was the first time since the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games that a new design would replace Giuseppe Cassioli’s medal design. The IOC intended to include Greek elements to highlight the close connection between Greece and the Olympic Games.

“After the initial shock, I went out and walked. ‘Impossible! I can’t do it!’ was my first reaction, and the need for absolute confidentiality increased my anxiety. But then, designs started to come to my mind one after the other. I gathered elements, books – everything I needed and came to my hometown, Hydra, to concentrate. I locked myself in, drawing incessantly – the difficulty was that we had to submit only one design. Finally, I settled on my initial idea,” shares the designer about her experience.

To incorporate the Olympic idea and its revival into the medal, the designer chose the goddess Nike for the central position. “According to myth, the goddess Nike descends from the sky to crown the Olympic Games winner. The ‘Nike’ of Paeonius of Mende is a statue exhibited in the museum of Ancient Olympia and is directly linked to the Greek origin of the Olympic Games. The statue, which is almost 3 meters tall and was crafted by Paeonius in 421 BC, was worshipped in antiquity as the personification of victory both in the stadium and on the battlefield. Historical research revealed that the goddess Nike was always depicted with wings, descending from the heavens to crown the victor,” explains the designer.

“Therefore, she had to be in a standing position, which was a mistake in the previous Olympic medal where she was seated on a rock. Another ‘historical’ error was that until then, the medal depicted the Colosseum, which had no relation to the Olympic Games,” says Elena Votsi.

On the main side of Votsi’s medal, Nike stands at the center of the Panathenaic Stadium, where the Olympic Games revival took place in 1896. In the background is the Parthenon, the jewel of Athens and ancient Greece, the birthplace of Democracy and Philosophy, where words like ‘universe’ and ‘heritage’ acquired real meaning.

“I included the three initial motifs that came to mind when designing the Olympic medal. These were the symbols I wanted to use to connect the past and the present, myth and reality,” the designer summarizes her inspiration.

As for the next steps in the process, Ms. Votsi recalls: “I submitted the design, and then followed meetings with the Committee that would choose the design. I hadn’t realized that my design was among the finalists. I remember there were two elevators to prevent one designer from seeing another – we went up and down parallelly. I never found out who else participated in the competition. I didn’t attend the envelope opening because I was too anxious. The day I was told they chose my design was the same day I learned I was pregnant with my son… Even today, I can’t believe what happened; I see it as a dream.”

Whenever Ms. Votsi sees the world’s top athletes wearing her medal, she admits the feeling is “incredible!” and adds, “It’s truly joyful to see people who have strived for so many years hold the medal I designed with such emotion. It’s worth mentioning that in 2004, many athletes and their parents came here to Hydra to talk and take photos together.”

Timeless and Precious

The timelessness linked to Elena Votsi’s Olympic medal design undoubtedly makes it even more valuable, as its front side will remain the same for many future events – it has not been clarified until when. The back side may change based on the host country’s culture and traditions.

“Although initially, the medal was designed only for the 2004 Athens Olympics, the Organizing Committee later accepted the proposal by Ms. Gianna Angelopoulos, president of ‘Athens 2004,’ for my design to remain consistently the same on the front side – it was a personal success of hers! The new medal features the element of Greekness regarding the birth of the Olympic Games and their revival due to the Panathenaic Stadium,” explains Ms. Votsi.

How the Designer Comments on This Year’s Opening Ceremony in Paris

“I believe the stadium is the ‘home’ of the athlete, and the Olympic Games’ opening should take place there. The athlete is the absolute protagonist, and the stadium is where their heart beats. I respect each country’s choice, but in my opinion, everything should happen within the stadium as a sign of respect for the athletes – for their strength, effort, endurance, smiles, and tears. The Olympic Games are about the athletes. And we should not forget that,” she concludes.