The Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games have begun. This time thousands of players will participate in the Olympic competition and will play to bring glory to their country. The winners will be awarded with three medals as usual. This time these medals are very special.
According to the information, the Paris Olympic and Paralympic medals will have a unique design that will include a piece of the Eiffel Tower. At the center of each gold, silver and bronze medal will be a hexagonal, polished piece of iron taken from the iconic landmark.
This is the first time in Olympic history that a host city has incorporated a piece of a famous monument into its medals. The iron pieces, weighing 18 grams each, were recovered from girders and other parts replaced during the renovation of the Eiffel Tower. They were cleaned, polished and varnished with paint before being stamped with the Paris 2024 and Olympic Games logos.
The hexagonal shape of the iron pieces represents France, often called “l’Hexagone” because of its geographic shape. Designed by the Parisian jewelry house Chaumet, these medals feature discs of recycled gold, silver or bronze surrounding the iron pieces.
These discs are curved to reflect light and make the medals sparkle. Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, is depicted on the reverse side of Olympic medals, along with a small depiction of the Eiffel Tower. Paralympic medals feature a view of the tower from below, with Paris 2024 written in Braille, and have markings on the edges to distinguish between gold, silver and bronze.
The Paris Mint is making a total of 5,084 medals, with the gold medals weighing 529 grams and the silver ones plated with 6 grams of gold. The silver medals weigh 525 grams, while the bronze medals weigh 455 grams and are made of a copper, tin and zinc alloy. Each medal is 85 millimetres wide and 9.2 millimetres thick. They will be presented in a dark blue box from Chaumet, along with a certificate from the Eiffel Tower operating company confirming the authenticity of the iron pieces.
