Here’s the Real Reason Why Olympians Bite Their Medals

(INDEPENDENT JOURNAL REVIEW) – With many Americans glued to their TVs watching the Olympics, it is inevitable that some common questions arise.

Like, for example, why in the world do medal-donning Olympians bite their new pieces of hardware?

Michael Phelps did it after Team USA won the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final:

And the ‘Final Five’ took a bite after they secured the gold in the women’s team gymnastics final:

So, what gives?

Believe it or not, it is not to make a dent in order to determine whether the gold is real, as some may think. In fact, the biting is not specific to the gold medal.

The real reason is quite simple. NBC News explains:“Because the photographers are all screaming, ‘Bite the medal! Look over here! Bite!'”

Yes, that’s right. There is no age-old tradition behind it—it is all in the name of a good photo.

Read the full story on IJR.com

Photos; Getty Images