# Bronze Medal Bronze Medal, also known as Third Place Celebration, started as a February 2020 comic by Russian artist 3palec showing a man ecstatically celebrating third place while the gold and silver medalists stand grim. Reddit users turned the illustration into an object-labeling format within a week, casting the overjoyed bronze winner as whatever misses the mark. By August 2021, Twitter users were recreating the comic with photographs of Brazilian swimmer Bruno Fratus celebrating his Olympic bronze medal. ## Origin Russian artist 3palec drew the four-panel comic titled "Never give up!" and uploaded it to Facebook on February 7, 2020[1]. The illustration shows a bronze medalist biting his medal, kissing the award presenter, popping a large champagne bottle, and chugging straight from it while the gold and silver winners stand stone-faced beside him on the podium[3]. 3palec's original post collected over 41,000 shares before the image moved onto Reddit and Imgur, where users began repurposing it as an object-labeling template[3]. - **Platform:** Facebook (source illustration) / Reddit (viral spread) - **Creator:** 3palec - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview Bronze Medal posts work through object labeling, where the dejected gold and silver medalists represent the deserved winner while the champagne-chugging third-placer stands in for a misguided but delighted alternative[2]. Edits typically label the bronze winner as a cheaper option, a flawed historical figure, or a small achievement someone celebrates anyway, while gold and silver carry the thing meme-makers think actually earns the praise[4]. The tone is sarcastic, mocking the overenthusiasm of being thrilled with third place. Early edits leaned into pop-culture and history jokes, since both lent themselves to third-place-but-celebrated setups[2][4]. Gamers adapted the comic for streak and loot celebrations[6], and Twitter users deployed it as a reaction to minor wins or near-misses[7]. ## How to Use Making a Bronze Medal post typically involves labeling the three medalists so the ecstatic third-placer mocks whatever you're calling out. A common convention pairs genuine quality on the gold and silver tiers with a cheap, flawed, or ridiculous alternative on bronze. Edits often add text labels directly onto the medals or above each figure, keeping 3palec's original artwork intact underneath. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Bronze Medal? Bronze Medal is a 2020 object-labeling image macro built from a comic showing a man ecstatically celebrating third place while the gold and silver medalists stand grim beside him[2]. ### Where did Bronze Medal come from? Russian artist 3palec drew the original comic titled "Never give up!" and posted it to Facebook on February 7, 2020[1]. ### What does Bronze Medal mean? Posts use the overjoyed bronze winner as a stand-in for a lesser option someone celebrates anyway, mocking the overenthusiasm by contrast with the quiet gold and silver medalists[4]. ### How do you use Bronze Medal? Label the three medalists so the champagne-popping third-placer represents the misguided choice while gold and silver represent the thing that actually deserves admiration[2]. ### Is Bronze Medal still popular? The format saw its heaviest Reddit use through early 2020[6] and got a real-world revival in August 2021 when Brazilian swimmer Bruno Fratus's Olympic bronze celebration got recreated as the comic[3]. ## References 1. [https://www.facebook.com/3Palec/photos/a.691984267881314/839012993178440/?type=3&theater]() 2. [https://www.reddit.com/r/PrequelMemes/comments/f46yg0/a_fair_way_to_describe_relative_quality/]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bronze-medal]() 4. [https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryMemes/comments/f4thgj/he_is_actually_the_fourth_to_reach_america_but/]() 5. [https://imgur.com/gallery/IDs2iww]() 6. [https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/fh853l/when_you_finally_get_a_streak/]() 7. [https://twitter.com/Himanshoes/status/1251635366991409154]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/bronze-medal Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library