Every athlete would love to have the honour of winning a gold medal for their country, but if you’re from Russia, there is a little bit more incentive. For the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics gold medal winners will now contain pieces of meteorite that struck into Russia earlier this year.

These “space” medals will be given on the one year anniversary that the meteor struck. So, on 15 February 2014, if you are competing in the men’s 1,500 meter speedskating, the women’s 1,000 meter, men’s 1,500 meter short track, the women’s cross-country skiing relay, the men’s K-125 ski jump, the women’s super giant slalom and the men’s skeleton events – you will also be eligible for a Chelyabinsk meteor medal.

Chelyabinsk Region Culture Minister Alexei Betekhtin said:

We will hand out our medals to all the athletes who will win gold on that day, because both the meteorite strike and the Olympic Games are the global events

[Source: Gizmodo]