The design team for the 9th Asian Winter Games medal explained its unique design concept embodied in the medal, which combines the sports elements with the distinctive character of the event's host city Harbin.
The week-long 9th Asian Winter Games officially opened on Friday in the "ice city" Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, bringing together over 1,200 competitors from 34 countries and regions, aiming to deliver their best performances in pursuit of glory.
The medal for the international sports event, featuring a round design with an eight-centimeter diameter, is titled "Spirit of Speed." It signifies an event brimming with energy, showcasing the fervor and zeal for winter sports alongside the unity and friendship among Asian countries.
Zou Cunliang, leader of the medal design team, said it was a challenging task to include the emblems of the Asian Winter Games and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), while also embodying the local elements of Heilongjiang on an eight-centimeter medal.
"This is a medal for the Asian Winter Games. The front design features the racetrack in the snow sports area of Yabuli and the streamlined silhouette of the Harbin Grand Theater, along with the Games' emblem, creating a striking and vivid visual effect. On the back, the design showcases the mountain ranges of the snow sports area and the forest landscape of the Greater Khingan Mountains, with a visual effect that captures the foreground, middle ground, and background," Zou explained.
At the center of the back of the medal, the OCA emblem is embedded with a rare Xunke red agate from Heilongjiang. According to Zou, this design draws inspiration from the 2008 Beijing Olympics medal which was inlaid with a circular piece of jade.
"The OCA emblem is embedded with a precious gemstone produced in Heilongjiang - the north red agate from Xunke. We applied the same medal-making technique used in the 2008 Olympic Games to embed the agate into the metal and added a protective layer to prevent the agate from easily falling off," said Zou.
In addition, the ribbon of the medal is designed in lilac purple, as lilac is the city flower of Harbin, making the medal more reflective of the city's aesthetic.
"Designing the medal is both an honor and an important achievement for us. It plays a key role in the development of creative design in Heilongjiang and serves as a milestone for the future growth of our team," said Zou.
Designer explains unique concept for Asian Winter Games medal
Designer explains unique concept for Asian Winter Games medal
