The Olympic medals that will be handed out at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be among the heaviest medals in Olympic history. They will stand out in Olympic history for their unusual design. The Vancouver 2010 medals are based on two artworks of an orca whale (Olympic) and raven (Paralympic) by Canadian artist Corrine Hunt. Canadian architect Omer Arbel created the undulating design of the medals. The medals are struck nine times as part of ta 30-step medal fabrication process. The Royal Canadian Mint will produce 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals for the 2010 Winter Games. You can learn more about how they were made here and here.
