Why do winning olympians get flowers

Instead of flowers, the medal-winning athletes at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics were presented with small sculptures of the Rio logo.

As well as a medal, each athlete will again receive flowers. Ten years ago, an earthquake in the east of Japan caused a tsunami that triggered the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl crisis.

The brightly coloured flowers — sunflowers and roses from Miyagi, gentians from Iwate and eustoma from Fukushima — have a special meaning and have been chosen to express gratitude to people overseas who provided help in the aftermath of the crisis.

Hand Sanitiser Rhubarb Rhubarb! Hand Sanitiser 75ml Rhubarb Rhubarb! Hand Lotion Rhubarb Rhubarb! Scented Reed Diffuser Rhubarb Rhubarb! You might be wondering, for example, wh Olympic medalists receive flowers. And hey, while we're at it, why have the Rio summer Olympics started using statues instead?

While this change might initially sound a little confusing, the logic behind the shift is actually based in something awesome for the environment. But before we get into the logic behind the shift from flowers to statues, let's review why Olympic athletes received flowers when they medaled to begin with. According to the New York Times , the Olympics have a long history of awarding flowers to athletes who medal along with their gold, silver, or bronze medallions.

It dates back to ancient Greece, from whence the modern Olympic Games get their inspiration: Athletes competing in ancient Greece were awarded not with medals, but with wreaths of olive leaves. Victory bouquets feature sunflowers from Miyagi, gentians from Iwate and eustomas from Fukushima, as well as a keepsake plush Miraitowa, the mascot of Tokyo Olympics.

In the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi, parents who lost children in the disaster planted sunflowers on the hill where their children sought refuge from the tsunami. Every year, the hill is covered in vibrant sunflowers. In Fukushima, Shimizu began planting flowers in after the vegetable crop showed levels of radiation that were unsafe for consumption.

Her nonprofit organization, Jin, planted more than 15, seedlings of the green-hued eustoma also known as lisianthus in anticipation of the Games.

Iwate is known for producing more than half of all gentians in Japan. The blue-indigo flower is the same shade of color as the Olympic and Paralympic emblems.