Introduced in the Vancouver Olympics, the platinum medal is an Olympic medal awarded only to those whose performances far exceed the requirements for a gold medal or whose egos far exceed the requirements for being able to accept a silver medal. So far, the only one to have ever been awarded this high honour is Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko, who received this award upon successfully completing a quad when all of his opponents only completed triple or less. To imitate the Olympic podium, it is often placed in between "gold" and "bronze" in the standings and is abbreviated "S" for "special snowflake."
Congratulations to Evgeni Plushenko on his platinum medal-winning performance in the Vancouver Olympics!
by Zukashin March 1, 2010