The ultimate goal of all athletes in Paris 2024 was revealed today. The gold, silver, and bronze medals are now public, and the path to achieving the highest point of a sports career just got way more exciting!

For the first time in the history of the Games, each Olympic and Paralympic medal is adorned with a highly symbolic and priceless piece of metal: the original iron from the Eiffel Tower.

During the 20th century, the structure of the Eiffel Tower underwent renovation work. Certain metallic elements were removed from the “Dame de fer” and have been carefully preserved ever since. For the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel is giving these veritable pieces of the history of Paris and France a second lease of life.

By integrating the most iconic metal in France’s heritage into the centre of sport’s most prestigious medals, Paris 2024 is giving continuity to Gustave Eiffel’s audacity. The famous engineer shook up the conventions of his time by choosing iron to build the first 300-metre tower. By placing fragments of the Eiffel Tower at the centre of its medals, Paris 2024 hopes to leave athletes with an unforgettable memory of the Games, of Paris and of France.

The Hexagon
On the medal, the original iron of the Eiffel Tower is cut into a hexagon, the geometric shape that evokes France to the point of being its nickname. This symbol recalls the mobilisation of an entire country, beyond its capital, to stage historic Olympic and Paralympic Games. Stripped of its “Eiffel Tower brown” paint, the puddle iron has been restored to its original colour. Placed in the centre and embossed with the emblem of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, this piece of heritage blends elegantly with the gold, silver and bronze to give the medals a two-tone side.

Designed by Chaumet’s creative team, the Olympic and Paralympic medals are all engraved with the name of the sport, discipline and event of the medallist on the edge. These inscriptions are found in French on the Olympic medals and in English on the Paralympic medals, the official languages of the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The Dame de fer also inspired the unique design of the ribbon that will enable athletes to wear
their medals with pride. For the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the medal ribbon will be adorned with the crosspieces of the Eiffel Tower. By bringing the pieces of ribbon together, the line formed gives a glimpse of the shape of the famous monument. The sober blue of the Olympic medal ribbon is contrasted by the deep red of the Paralympic medal ribbon, a blend of the Eiffel Tower’s first two colour coatings, “Venice red” and “red brown”.

Photo credit: Thomas Deschamps/Paris2024