The medals for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games have been officially delivered. BOCOG received all 6000 medals from BHP Billiton, the Beijing Olympic Medal sponsor.

The medals for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games have been officially delivered. BOCOG Executive Vice President Jiang Xiaoyu (R) received the delivery from BHP Billiton China President Clinton Dines(L).

BOCOG Executive Vice President Jiang Xiaoyu received the delivery from BHP Billiton China President Clinton Dines at a ceremony on Thursday.

3,000 Olympic and 3,000 Paralympic gold, silver and bronze medals, co-produced by BHP Billiton and China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, were officially delivered. The jade-metal combined medals, the first of their kind in Olympic history, are made with high-quality metals and Kunlun jade, considered one of the best forms of jade in the world.

Jiang Xiaoyu, BOCOG Executive Vice President said "Those medals represent the ultimate recognition of high performance, success and courage and achievements by all the medal winners. "

Production of the jade-metal medals involved engineers and workers from Australia, Chile and China. With their delicate and elegant Chinese-style design, many say the 29th Olympic and Paralympic medals will leave a great legacy to athletes and the Games.

Apart from awarding the winning athletes, some of the medals, as Olympic legacies, will also be sent to museums in China and Switzerland, where the Olympic Museum is based.

(CCTV July 4, 2008)