The medals of the Games of the XXX Olympiad are under lock and key in the Tower of London.

The Tower of London is most notable for keeping the Crown jewels safe, and now Beefeaters, the Tower’s Yeomen Warders, will be guarding the medals.

“To the athletes competing to win these medals, they are as precious as the Crown jewels, so it is fitting that they should be stored for safe keeping in the same iconic location”, states Hugh Robertson, the Minister for Sport and the Olympics.

The medals feature a depiction of the Greek Goddess of Victory, Nike, on the front. On the back is the River Thames under the London 2012 logo. The design is a conception of artist David Watkins.

The front of the Paralympic medal has a section of one of Nike’s wing. On the back, is a depiction of the surface close to her heart. These were designed by jewelry artist Lin Cheung.

The 4,700 medals, gold, silver, and bronze, will be held in the tower until they are to be awarded to the Olympic champions.  The first gold medal was awarded to Yi Siling of China for the women’s 10-meter air rifle event (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/olympics-2012/olympics-2012-gold-medal-london-games-yi-siling-china-women-10-meter-air-rifle-article-1.1123842).

The eight tons of gold, silver, and bronze came from the mines in Salt Lake City in Utah, U.S. and Mongolia. They were produced by the mining company Rio Tinto.

“For an athlete, winning an Olympic or Paralympic medal represents the conclusion of thousands of hours of training and reaching the highest level in sport”, states Seb Coe. He goes on to state that “the victory ceremonies then provide the moment they can truly celebrate their success.”

It is “great the London 2012 medals will be kept safe and secure” at the central London royal palace and fortress, says Coe.

If you wish to protect your valuables, but do not have the access to Beefeaters to do so for you, contact Accurate Safe and Lock for your security needs.  Call at 206-284-0151.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18677289

Image: http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/61308000/jpg/_61308394_beefeater_medal_1000.jpg