Medals for Paris 2024, both Olympic and Paralympic, will include an 18-gram fragment from the original Eiffel Tower dating back to 1889. The organizers announced this detail on Thursday, underscoring the symbolic connection between the country, its capital, and the Games themselves.
“We needed more than just a drawing of the tower on the medal. It was essential to establish a link,” said the head of the Organizing Committee. The note also mentions that the only French athlete to win three gold medals across three different Games was the late Tony Estanguet.
With a limited production of 5,000 medals, these unique pieces—distributed during the Games which begin on July 26—are expected to become the city’s most visited symbol and a lasting part of the nation’s heritage.
“Gold, silver, and bronze unite with the most delicate French metal that embodies the national emblem. It is a fusion that mirrors both prestige and national pride,” the spokesperson explained.
The project involved Chaumet, a renowned jeweler based in the prestigious Place Vendôme. Estanguet noted the aim was to craft something that honors athletes while doubling as a jewel, elevating the medal to a piece of art.
“Each edition carries its own character, and it was important that ours be as beautiful as possible. It reflects the best of France and carries a powerful message,” Estanguet added. He also referenced medals from the 1900 and 1924 Paris Games as historical benchmarks for this design.
Athletes supported the concept through a commission chaired by former Olympic medalist Martin Fourcade, who holds the record for the most medals. He affirmed that nothing resonates more symbolically than reclaiming a piece of French heritage through the medal program.
The design features a sun motif to symbolize brightness, with the central element a hexagonal fragment representing the Eiffel Tower, drawn from the builder’s archive. This hexagonal piece is nestled within the gold design, which is crafted in workshops known for their expertise in metalwork and jewelry—nicknamed the “Iron Lady” workshops because of their location and heritage.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee has asked for the goddess Athena to be depicted leaving the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, linking the modern Games to their ancient origins. Paris, however, also received authorization to include a depiction of the Eiffel Tower on the medal’s other side, paying homage to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Movement.
At the Paralympic Games, a portion of the Eiffel Tower will be exhibited from a bottom-up perspective, and inscriptions will be rendered in Braille, reflecting Louis Braille’s 1825 invention for the blind in France. The initiative has drawn notable attention from Beatriz Hass, a French Paralympic athlete who has earned 20 medals and highlighted the medal’s jewel-like significance.
Antoine Arnault, heir to the LVMH luxury group and proprietor of Chaumet, described the medal as a historic moment: the first time a jeweler has designed a Games medal. He emphasized the symbolic nature of this collaboration and its potential to leave a lasting imprint on Paris 2024.
In announcing this initiative, Paris 2024 expressed a desire to “leave a lasting mark” on the Games, hinting at other bold ideas. Estanguet suggested possibilities such as moving parts of the opening ceremony to the Seine, or staging events at notable monuments like the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, or Place de la Concorde, to create a more immersive city-wide celebration.