Winning an Olympic medal is the greatest desire of the athletes who will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, including those who will participate in the cycling events to be held between July 27 and August 5.
Some medals that have been made public by the organization of the Paris 2024 Games and that, despite having a sober design treasure a large dose of symbolism in its preparation since, apart from the gold, silver and bronze that recognize each of the three positions on the podium, embodied on a circular structure of wavy shape, will have a piece of iron in the center.
And it is not just any piece, but the iron used is part of the original material of the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris and, by extension, one of the landmarks of France that were removed from the tower after recent restorations and remained unused in a warehouse.
Each iron fragment has been cleaned of its protective paint, polished and given a hexagonal shape, a figure analogous to that of France on the map, and set on gold, plate or bronze circles with a technique similar to how precious stones are set in rings and other jewelry items and which attempt to imitate the rivets that fix the structure of the Eiffel Tower.
Engraved on the iron piece is the logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. On the other side of the medal, the surface is smooth, without the wavy surface of the obverse, and reproduces the elements required by the International Olympic Committee, such as Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, the Acropolis of Athens, accompanied by the Eiffel Tower and the characteristic Olympic rings.
“It is the opportunity for athletes to take a piece of Paris with them” commented Thierry Reboul, creative director of the 2024 Olympic event, after the presentation.
The medals have been manufactured by the Paris Mint, a total of 5,000 units, 2,600 for the Olympic Games and 2,400 for the Paralympics.