Medals at the Paris Olympics will have a unique shape

Olympic medals are the main goal for a lot of athletes this summer, and Paris 2024 offers them something special.

The fact is that athletes will not only receive gold, silver or bronze, but also a piece of France's most iconic landmark, the Eiffel Tower. Games organizers said each of the 5,084 medals to be awarded will contain metal from the famous 1,083-foot-tall structure.

Fragments of wrought iron left over from the original 1889 Eiffel Tower structure have been recycled into the Olympic awards. These pieces, removed during the restoration and repair of La Dame de Fer (‘The Iron Lady’), were kept in storage for years.

Thierry Reboul, creative director of Paris 2024, said: ‘This is a chance for the athletes to bring a piece of Paris with them. The Eiffel Tower is the undisputed symbol of Paris and France.’

The design of each Olympic and Paralympic medal was developed by Paris-based luxury jewelry firm Chaumet, placing the metal Eiffel Tower at the center of the medal. The recycled iron was given the shape of a hexagon, often referred to as the symbol of France.