- Paris 2024 Olympics will feature medals containing pieces of iron from the Eiffel Tower, commemorating 100 years since the city last hosted the games.
- Each medal will have a hexagon made from iron removed during tower renovations, donated by the organization responsible for preserving the Eiffel Tower.
- Craftworkers at the Chaumet House of Jewellery designed the medals, the first time a jeweler has taken on this task in Olympic and Paralympic history.
Additional Coverage:
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will offer a unique addition to the traditional gold, silver, and bronze medals. Each winner’s medal will contain a small piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower, commemorating 100 years since the last time Paris hosted the Olympic Games. The medals were unveiled six months before the games are scheduled to begin.
The center of each individual medal will have a hexagon made from iron that was removed from the Eiffel Tower during renovations over the past century. These pieces of metal were carefully preserved and donated by the organization responsible for preserving the Eiffel Tower to create the special medal designs. Jean-François Martins, President of the Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel, expressed hope that the athletes would appreciate this unique souvenir.
The Eiffel Tower is constructed using a type of iron called “puddle” iron, which is made using a refining process known as “puddling.” Made in forges and blast furnaces in eastern France, this iron is almost pure and incredibly strong. The tower was initially intended to be a temporary structure but became a permanent fixture due to its popularity.
The Olympic and Paralympic medals were designed by craftworkers at the Chaumet House of Jewellery, which is part of the luxury LVMH group. This is the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history that a jeweler has designed the medals. Antoine Arnault of LVMH Image & Environment described the medals as jewels that were inspired by Parisian craftsmanship and expressed the hope that the athletes would enjoy wearing and admiring them.
Tony Estenguet, President of Paris 2024, emphasized the significance of medals as symbols of excellence, motivation, and ultimate achievement. He also highlighted the organizers’ goal of bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games closer together, as evidenced by the shared design on one side of the medals featuring the hexagon of iron from the Eiffel Tower.
The other side of the medals is different for the Olympics and Paralympics. The Olympic medals showcase the goddess of victory, Nike, emerging from the Panathenaic Stadium, with the Eiffel Tower and Acropolis in the background. The Paralympic medals feature a low-angle view of the Eiffel Tower, and the inscriptions “Paris” and “2024” are written in Braille to promote inclusion. The edge of each medal is engraved with lines to distinguish the different metals by touch.
While Olympic medals have a standardized design featuring Nike, the Olympic rings, and the name of the games and sport, each organizing committee can choose a unique design for the reverse side. There is no standardization for Paralympic medals.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, followed by the Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8.