GOLD, SILVER, AND BRONZE
Athletes in the heptathlon must achieve an Olympic qualifying score and must qualify for their nation’s Olympic team. A maximum of three competitors per country may compete in the heptathlon. Points are awarded to each athlete according to her time or distance, not her placement in the field, according to pre-set formulas.
If there is a tie in points after seven events, the victory goes to the competitor who out-scored her rival in more events. If that tiebreaker results in a draw (3-3 with one tie, for example), the victory goes to the heptathlete who scored the most points in any single event.
The medals in London are a thing of beauty too. Design Week wrote about them: These is the slightly concave background – ‘a bowl similar to the design of an amphitheatre’ according to Locog, a grid of lines to symbolise drawing together and outreach, and the River Thames, a symbol of London and interestingly a ‘fluttering baroque ribbon’ says Locog.
The embossed logo meanwhile is ‘a tough crystalline growth’ or ‘an architectural expression’ Locog says.
