Why do you think some Olympic gold medal winners bite their medals while on the podium?

Tradition.

Their medal, their effort, they can do whatever they like with it.

I dunno but it seems pretty stupid to me: you're not going to be able to get the teeth marks out.

To check that the corrupt IOC aren't cutting corners and giving away fake medals.

The same reason with cult leaders putting a hand on top of people's head and people just fall down.

They saw others did it in the past.

Biting used to be a way to determine if something was pure gold, as Olympic medals once were (until 1912). Now it's just tradition, as gold medals are less than 2% actual gold.

Showing off is an universal tradition.

I suspect Japanese competitors are expected to do it

My impression is that they are also under pressure to automatically say "I'm going for gold and only gold" in interviews. It is good to aim high, but it is also good to acknowledge your opponent and not just cry when you don't get gold.

If the biting pose is just an "I'm happy" thing, it would be nice to see people do the same pose with silver or bronze medals. People should be happy with those medals too. Noone gets any Olympic medal without masses of support from their family and wider team.

commanteer: You are the only one here who knows and has a lick of sense. Haven't people here ever watched a movie and someone bites a gold coin to make sure it's gold? As they sing in "Fiddler on the Roof": Tradition, tradition.

To ensure it's not fake gold.

Biting used to be a way to determine if something was pure gold, as Olympic medals once were (until 1912). Now it's just tradition, as gold medals are less than 2% actual gold.

↑ THIS ↑

interesting. so now gold medals are like fruit flavored juice?

Couldn’t care less.

Forgive me, my little friend Google helped me with this (I knew why…; I just wanted to make sure/give a “pretty” answer, heheh).

a) The athletes nibble their prizes to test the metal. People once bit gold coins try to make an indent—a small tooth mark in a coin assured it consisted of real gold, which is more malleable than counterfeit gold-plated lead coins. That's largely irrelevant these days, especially in the context of the Olympics, but the tradition has endured.

b) Some athletes bite their medals simply because they are asked to by cameramen.

Couldn’t care less.

But here you are.

But here you are.

It’s called a comment, nothing to do with my personal feelings of “caring” I don’t that is why I made the comment on this, a “public forum.”

To check if there's chocolate inside, obviously.

So, someone can make this type of questions.... also tradition.

@Bad Haircut

Like your sense of humor... it is sad that there are a lot of people that lack that sense one though....

Because they were "Hungry for the Gold" they see it as food for the effort they put in now they can cash in and eat and now taste the GOLD!

They know the cameras and everyone are looking at them and they don't really know what to do or how to react for that minute or two.

It's just nervousness in front of the camera gesture cuz they've seen others do it.

They're asked by the camera people to do it. It's a reliable, consistent, non-controversial picture that is easy to crop and frame. Irrespective of the language of the athletes, it is easy for the photographers to convey their request. I absolutely hate seeing it.

Because they are asked to do so by the camera photographers. Is silly, but somehow cute at that particular moment.

It's tradition. It started as early as 1991 apparently. It's a little bit unhygienic.