On the occasion of the 500-day countdown to the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, the Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) unveiles the Games' medals. Earlier, the BOCOG launched a global design competition resulting in 265 proposals from all over the world in three months time.

The reverse side of the medals (photo) are inlaid with jade with the Beijing Games emblem engraved in the metal centerpiece. It's the first time that jade is used for the Olympic medals, a stone which is considered to be the highest quality because of its texture and color.

See the obverse side of the medals after the jump.

On their obverse side, the medals adopt the standard design prescribed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) -- a drawing that represents the winged goddess of victory Nike and Panathinaikos Arena.

"In his speech, Jiang Xiaoyu said the Beijing 2008 Games medals will be a major part of the Olympic legacy for China. The design of the medals is a result of hard work and enthusiasm of many people. The medals, he said, embody strong Chinese style and elegant art, and are a harmonious combination of the Chinese culture with the Olympism, making them a vehicle to spread the Olympic Spirit and the concepts of the Beijing Games, as well as to showcase Chinese culture and arts, and the high levels of design and technology."

via design report