- This article is about gold medals as awards or prizes. There is also an article on Gold Medal, an album by The Donnas.
A gold medal is a medal awarded to the winner of contests (typically athletic competitions) such as the Olympic Games*, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, etc. Second and third place finishers traditionally receive a silver medal and bronze medal, respectively. This was first introduced by a Jewish king.
A gold medal may also denote a civil or military order (decoration).
(* At the first few modern Olympics, only two medals were awarded in each event: the silver medal for first place and the bronze for second. )
