Testing Their Medal

Jan Freeman at the Boston Globe wonders about the prevalence of "to podium" which I'd never heard before the Turin Olympics. But I noticed another: has anyone noticed the frequent use of "medaled" and "decorated" to describe athletes? Yes, I know they "medal" if they are awarded a medal at the Games. But it seems to have become a standard description of the athletes, along with "decorated" which until Turin, I never heard applied to an individual except a member of the military. Is this yet another example of the militarization of TV reporting language?