1. A gold medal gilded with the minimum six grams of pure gold - as stipulated by the International Olympic Committee - would be worth just over £200 in scrap metal, according to the latest gold prices from the London Bullion Market Association.

2. Each gold medal weighs 500-grams and all are at least 92.5 per cent recycled silver. They contain just 1 per cent gold. The last time Olympic medals were made of pure gold was at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.

3. Each medal takes two days to make. Brazil's National Mint - located in Rio - has had an 80-strong team working round the clock to make the 5,130 Olympic and Paralympic medals.

4. The silver used in the Rio gold medals has been recycled from mirrors and X-ray plates.

5. The Olympic Motto 'Citius, Altius, Fortius' ('Faster, Higher, Stronger') does not appear Summer Games medals. It has featured on four Winter Games medals, though.

6. Summer Games medals are traditionally smaller, lighter and thinner than those presented at Winter Games.

7. Michael Phelps has the all-time record with 23 gold medals. Ex-Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina holds the women's record with nine.

8. Team GB is the only team to have won at least one gold medal at every Summer Games since the first was held in 1896.

9. The Paralympics gold medals will contain small steel balls to help visually impaired athletes identity them.

Neva knew

If i could just get one gold medal.....

To hell with the economic situation of Nigeria

Nigeria is the only african team to win gold medal in men's football

Petersamuel8:
Nigeria is the only african team to win gold medal in men's football

em...wrong!

Cameroon won gold in the men's football event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics...four years after Nigeria's dream team did it in Atlanta.

Petersamuel8:
Nigeria is the only african team to win gold medal in men's football

Wrong...cameroon also won gold in 2000