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A Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games gold medal which wieghs 686 grams © • Sochi 2014 Russian Deputy Prime Minster Dmitry Kozak at the launch of the Sochi 2014 medals The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games medals © • IPC

The Sochi 2014 Paralympic medals symbolise the integrity and strength of spirit of Paralympians, who are an example of the unlimited possibilities of humankind.

The presentation of the Paralympic medals, which will be awarded at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, took place in St. Petersburg, Russia on Thursday (30 May) during the 11th "SportAccord" Annual International Sports Convention.

Guests of honour at the ceremony, which is often held in the year before the Games, included Xavier Gonzalez, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee.

The presentation ceremony was opened by Dmitry Chernyshenko, who gave the audience the main facts and figures about the Sochi 2014 medals and highlighted their uniqueness. The Paralympic and Olympic medals which were also launched today were then displayed and members of the public were able to view them up-close.

The Sochi 2014 medals are unique and feature the Sochi 2014 "Patchwork Quilt" – a mosaic of national designs from the various cultures and ethnicities of the Russian Federation. The medals have been carefully crafted to depict the landscape of Sochi from the sun's rays reflecting through the snowy mountain tops onto the sandy beaches of the Black Sea coast. These contrasts in Russia's natural landscape are embodied in the medals and will be an everlasting souvenir for the champions. The unusual combination of metal

The Sochi 2014 Paralympic medals symbolise the integrity and strength of spirit of Paralympians, who are an example of the unlimited possibilities of humankind.

One side of the medals features the Paralympic symbol (three "agitos"); the reverse features the logo of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and the name of the competition in English. The official name of the Games in Russian and English is engraved on the medal rim. The awards also contain inscriptions in Braille for the visually impaired.

A set of Sochi 2014 medals traditionally includes a bronze, silver, and gold medal. The Paralympic medals weigh between 585 and 686 grams, due to their design peculiarities. Each medal is 10 mm thick and 100 mm in diameter.