New medal presentation order

BUSAN, South Korea: The Busan Asian Games Organizing Committee (BAGOC) has decided to use a reverse order for the medal presentation ceremonies, while adopting other "unique features previously unseen in the Olympics or Asian Games".

The medal presentation will be changed from gold-silver-bronze to bronze-silver-gold, a proposal that was passed last July in Moscow. The first ever Olympic Games to use this presentation order was the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games.

The winners will also receive a mascot doll, Duria the Seagull, and a bouquet of flowers, in addition to their medals. Olympians traditionally get medals and flower bouquets, while the winners at the 1994 Hiroshima Games and the 1998 Bangkok Games received medals and dolls.

Medal winners also will not stand at the same height, with the stage for the gold medal winners ascending 30 centimeters while their national anthem is played and their flag is raised.

"We have tried to steer away from traditional, dull awards ceremonies by adopting a number of unique features previously unseen in the Olympics or Asian Games," said the BAGOC official responsible for the victory ceremonies, Choi In-tae. -- JP