Commonwealth Games unveils 'inclusive' medals inspired by Glasgow

Medals for this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will be inspired by the host city and feature an inclusive design that uses braille.

Award-winning artist and designer Militsa Milenkova created the medals, which weave the Finnieston Crane and Glasgow's industrial heritage into them, along with the city's coat of arms.

Braille and tactile elements are also included, with organisers saying this reflects inclusion being at the very heart of the competition.

A total of 215 gold medals will be awarded across 10 sports and six Para sports when the Games take place from 23 July to 2 August this summer.

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Milenkova, who is originally from Bulgaria and is Artist in Residence at the Glasgow School of Art, was chosen to design the medals after the school's silversmithing and jewellery artists in residence were invited to submit concepts for it.

A panel made up of representatives from Commonwealth Sport, Glasgow 2026, The Glasgow School of Art, the medal fabricator and an independent jewellery and silversmithing expert then decided on the winner.

She said: "I really wanted to be involved in designing the medals as to me this place is my chosen home.

"I wanted to try and portray this into something that will become a symbol for the Games and all the people who take part in it. I thought it would be a really nice way to put my connection with the city into the design.

"When I was thinking about the design, I wanted to try and fit Glasgow into one shape and to do that I was naturally drawn to the symbol of the city – the coat of arms. That's where I took the distinctive shape from."

Triangular shapes on the surface of the medal are inspired by the top of the Finnieston crane, while the texture represents tartan.