Why Jakara Anthony had to wait 24 hours to receive her moguls gold medal at the Winter Olympics

Australia’s golden girl Jakara Anthony has finally received her medal at the Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

The 23-year-old Victorian became just the sixth Aussie to win a Winter Olympic gold after her stunning victory in the women’s moguls late on Sunday night (AEDT).

Watch Jakara Anthony receive her gold medal in the video above

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But she had to wait 24 hours until the medal was placed around her neck and the Australian anthem was played.

That’s because unlike Summer Olympic ceremonies, which take place inside the venue directly after a competition, organisers of the Beijing Games have split the medal ceremony into two parts.

First, a “souvenir ceremony” is held in the competition venue after an event wraps-up, in which winners are presented with a plush toy panda, stuffed inside a plastic shell that is meant to represent ice.

The toy is also adorned with a golden wreath.

Athletes then have to travel to one of two purpose-built locations, known as Medals Plaza, to be presented with their medal before the national anthem is played and flags are raised.

One is based in Beijing and the other is in north China’s Hebei Province, where many outdoor events are being held.

Separating the medal ceremony from the competition first appeared in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.

Jakara Anthony looked fresh and was all smiles as she was finally awarded with her gold medal late on Monday night, despite admitting to pulling an all-nighter after her massive victory.

“It’s 5am here and I have not been to bed yet, so it has been a big night,” she told Sunrise, just a few hours after winning gold.

“It was my childhood dream come true and that is something