Paris 2024 Medals: A Piece of the Eiffel Tower in Every Olympic and Paralympic Medal
Gold, silver, bronze, and… wrought iron from the capital’s most iconic monument. The medals of the Paris 2024 Games all contain a genuine fragment of Paris, giving athletes extra motivation to reach the podium.
“The medal is the ultimate recognition for athletes,” says Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024 and a three-time Olympic gold medallist in canoe slalom. Every Olympic Games has its own unique reward. “Paris’ had to be as beautiful as possible and send a strong message. It wasn’t enough to be made of gold, bronze, or silver. They had to be made of Paris.”
A Piece of History in Every Medal
Thus, the symbol of the Eiffel Tower emerged. The Eiffel Tower Operating Company had preserved a large piece of the monument from one of its renovations. Eighteen grams of this piece, cleaned, treated, and varnished, were set in each of the 5,084 medals to be awarded.
Design and Symbolism
On one side of the medals, you’ll find the Acropolis and Athena Nike, the goddess of victory, the Olympic rings, and the name of the organizing committee. The IOC also authorized Paris 2024 to engrave the Eiffel Tower, symbolizing the inspiration of the ancient Greek games, the French origins of the modern Olympic Games, and the forthcoming edition in Paris.
On the other side, a piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower, in its original color and treated in a hexagonal shape to evoke France, is placed in the center of the medal. The flame, emblem of the Paris 2024 Games, and the rings are engraved on it. This hexagon is set against asymmetrical rays, representing the City of Light. “This medal is a jewel; we have set the top of the Eiffel Tower like a precious stone,” says Chaumet.
Paralympic Medals
For the Paralympic Games, the design was more flexible. However, like the torches and mascots that share a common look and design, the Olympic and Paralympic medals have one side featuring an image of the Iron Lady.
Paris 2024 chose to engrave the other side with a graphic image of the Eiffel Tower from an original angle, seen from below. The words “Paris” and “2024” frame the Tower’s pylons and are inscribed in universal braille, a nod to its French inventor, Louis Braille.
Unique Inscriptions and Ribbon Design
All Olympic and Paralympic medals are engraved on the edge with the name of the sport, discipline, and event of the medallist. These inscriptions appear in French on the Olympic medals and in English on the Paralympic medals, the official languages of the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee.
The Eiffel Tower also inspired the unique design of the ribbon that will proudly display the athletes’ medals. Adorned with the tower’s latticework, the ribbon’s curved line even reveals the shape of the famous monument when the pieces are brought together. The sober blue of the Olympic medal ribbon is complemented by the deep red of the Paralympic medal ribbon, a blend of the Tower’s first two colors, Venice red and reddish brown.
Key Figures
- 5,084: The number of medals that will be awarded at the Paris 2024 Games.
- 18 grams: The amount of the Eiffel Tower contained in each medal.
For more information, contact the press service at press.mediacentre@paris.fr.
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