There must be a metaphor in all those broken medals at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

At least six athletes, including Americans Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, who won gold in women’s downhill skiing and team figure skating, respectively, reported that their medals had broken. The precious hardware had detached from their ribbons — in Johnson’s case, as she jumped in celebration — and cracked upon landing.

It seemed a parable about the fragility of hard-won success. Or the relative worth of trinkets, even gold-plated ones, compared to the substance of the achievement itself. Or the quality of modern craftsmanship.

That’s the thing about the Olympics: They are a peculiar kind of mirror that reflects what we want to see.

The organizers of the Games say they have a fix for this recurring medals embarrassment. Time will tell. Meanwhile, the Milan Cortina Olympics march on with their refractive powers intact.

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