Montréal 1976

Olympic Games Montréal 1976 Medals

Front: Seated Victory holding laurel wreath and palm branch with Colosseum in background. Right of Victory, "XXle Olympiade Montréal 1976."

Back: Montréal Olympic Emblem within victor's laurel wreath, symbol of victory since the Games of Antiquity.

Sport engraved on medal edge

Ribbon: gold plated, silver or bronze chain corresponding to color of medal
Medal presented in wood case housed in black leather slipcover

Designer: Giuseppe Cassioli, Georges Huel (Montréal emblem on reverse)
Mint: Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa, Canada

In the final event of the Montréal Games the United States finally won gold in wormen's swimming, the 4x100-meter freestyle. Shirley Babashoff swam the anchor leg almost two seconds faster at Montréal than four years earlier at Munich.

Ray Charles "Sugar Ray" Leonard won gold in men's light-welterweight boxing in Montréal. He turned pro the following year and claimed world titles in five weight classes before his final retirement 20 years later.

The Montréal emblem on reverse of medal was designed by Georges Huel. It consists of the five Olympic rings with a winner's podium at top. This is also a graphic interpretation of the letter "M" for Montréal. The center oval of the emblem represents the athletics track in the Olympic Stadium.