An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal: gold, silver and bronze. The winner is awarded the gold medal, the runner-up the silver medal, and the third place competitor is awarded the bronze medal. Some countries, as well as supporting all their Olympic athletes, provide sums of money and gifts to medal winners depending on the classes and number of medals won.

Medal designs have varied considerably since the first Olympic Games in 1896, particularly in size and weight. A standard obverse (front) design of the medals for the Summer Olympic Games began in 1928 and remained for many years, until its replacement at the 2004 Games as the result of controversy surrounding the use of the Roman Colosseum rather than a building representing the Games' Greek roots. The medals of the Winter Olympic Games never had a common design, but regularly feature snowflakes.

The olive wreath was the prize for the winner at the Ancient Olympic Games. It was an olive branch, of the wild-olive tree that grew at Olympia, intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe. According to Pausanias it was introduced by Heracles as a prize for the winner of the running race to honour Zeus.

McKayla Rose Maroney (born December 9, 1995) is an elite artistic gymnast from the U.S.A. who is best known for her execution of the Amanar vault (SV 6.5) – a Yurchenko-entry vault followed by two and a half twists in the air during a laid-out back salto. She is the 2011 U.S. champion on the vault, having bested 2010 World Championships vault winner Alicia Sacramone at the 2011 U.S. National Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is a 2011 World Champion with the U.S. team and the 2011 World Champion on vault.

Competing at her first Nationals, Maroney placed third on vault at the 2009 U.S. Junior National Championships in Dallas, Texas in August.

At July’s 2010 CoverGirl Classic in Chicago, Illinois, Maroney tied for second on vault with gymnast Lexie Priessman. Maroney also placed fifth on floor exercise and seventh all-around.

Maroney won the vault title at the 2010 U.S. Junior National Championships in Hartford, Connecticut during August 2010. She also placed third all-around, tied for fourth on floor exercise and placed seventh on balance beam.

Bilyal Valerievich Makhov (Russian: Билял Валерьевич Махов, born 20 September 1987 in Nalchik) is a Russian wrestler. He was the Russian champion in 2007 and 2010, European champion in 2010 and World champion in 2007, 2009, 2010 in Men's Freestyle 120 kg.