why there is a fashion for Olympians to pose biting their medals?

[AndiiPandii]

You've just won a gold medal for heavensake. Celebrate it and pose for the camera celebrating it.

You aren't some back water hick who needs to check that their gold coin is real.

It's an unflattering pose and redolent of mistrust and aspirant desperation.

Very low rent as they'd say in the USA.

To be fair their 'gold' coin is mostly silver (98%) but I agree it's odd

I thought that biting a gold coin allows you to check it is real because gold is soft so you should be able to make a mark. I may be making that up. But if so are they checking their gold medals are really gold? And do they really want to risk leaving tooth marks all over them?

V odd. I don't understand it either. I guess it's nice to have a plan on how to pose though as it must all be a bit nerve wracking.

I've no idea how or where it started but imagine that a lot of the current athletes grew up watching others do it so now it is something they always dreamt of doing. A picture of themselves that they envisaged and are now making happen. It makes no sense, objectively, but that's the best explanation I can come up with as to why its so prevalent now.

I think it's because that's what the photographers ask them to do, no idea why they think it makes a good picture though, as OP says it's really unflattering. And I'd be really cross is my Olympic medal had teeth marks in it.

People used to bite gold coins to see if they were real gold . Maybe someone did it once in a 'I can't believe I've won a gold medal , is this real ' type way and they've all jumped on the band wagon .

Married In Maui

I thought that biting a gold coin allows you to check it is real because gold is soft so you should be able to make a mark.

Yes this is true - in the 1800s!That's what I meant by my "back water hick" comment. It's the way poor people (to whom it mattered more) checked authenticity.

A gold medal is obviously not solid gold - so posing like that makes you look cheap, desperate and like an idiot. Plus as I said it is unflattering to all humans even those that look like a young Elizabeth Taylor. It's ugleeee