Paris 2024 Olympics medals to be adorned with piece of iron from Eiffel Tower
Feb 08, 2024
Paris [France], February 8 : Every Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics medal will be adorned with a piece of original iron from the Eiffel Tower, the organisers of the Summer Games announced on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/Olympics/status/1755577759827415492
The medals were unveiled on Thursday at the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee.
When the Eiffel Tower underwent renovation work in the 20th century, certain metallic elements were removed and carefully preserved. Now, these rare pieces of history get a second lease of life ahead of Paris 2024.
The medal, as shown in the video posted by the Paris Olympics organizers, features a hexagon-shaped component formed of Eiffel Tower shards.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3FOC0Ts2fJ/
Each medal has actual iron from the Eiffel Tower carved into a hexagon, a geometric form so associated with France that it has earned the moniker. This sign represents the mobilisation of a complete country, not just its capital, to host the historic Olympics and Paralympics Games.
Without its typical "Eiffel Tower brown" paint, the puddled iron has been left in its natural colour. This piece of history, imprinted with the Paris 2024 Games insignia, sits neatly amid the gold, silver, and bronze medals, creating a two-tone impression.
On the same side, tiny lines appear at random intervals all around the iron hexagon. Struck rather than etched, these rays provide relief and lustre to a medal that is far from smooth. This imaginative concept captures both France's global brightness and the athletes' brilliant accomplishments in the Games.
After revealing a unique logo, a pair of mascots, a shared look, and a single Torch, the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics medals now share one side with the same design: the side with the Eiffel Tower's iron.
The medals are all engraved with the name of the sport, the discipline and the event on the edge. These inscriptions are written in French on the Olympics medals and in English on the Paralympic ones, the respective official languages of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11.
