Winning an Olympic gold medal is taken into account the crowning achievement of an athlete and so it is barely fitting that the physical medal reflects this significance.
The decoration of the gold medal is special at every Olympic Games, but Paris 2024 is especially notable because when athletes win gold, they get to take home a chunk of the Eiffel Tower, an emblem of the host city.
The Eiffel Tower played a serious role within the opening ceremony of Paris 2024. From shining lights and the Olympic rings to the comeback of Celine Dion, the Eiffel Tower showed the world its splendor. And now it’s going to be a part of the athletes' medal collection.
What else is exclusive about these gold medals and what’s the connection between them and the Eiffel Tower? Find out every thing you should know here.
How many Olympic medals are created?
According to several reports, around 5,084 medals have been developed for Paris 2024. They indicate that around 2,600 medals were created for the Olympic Games and a couple of,400 for the Paralympics.
How much do the Olympic gold medals weigh?
The gold medal weighs 1.17 kilos. The silver medal, as compared, weighs 1.16 kilos, while the bronze medal weighs one pound.
Who designed the Olympic gold medals?
The Olympic medals were designed by the French luxury jewelry and watch brand Chaumet. Founded in 1780, the brand is owned by LVMH (Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton).
What are the characteristics of the Olympic gold medals?
The Olympic gold medal consists of three features: the hexagon, the luster and the setting.
In the middle of the medal is a hexagon. It is a tribute to France's nickname “L'hexagone” since the country is roughly hexagonal.
The hexagon is surrounded by several string-like structures. These symbolize the radiant light, as Paris is sometimes called the “City of Light”.
There are prong settings on the six edges of the hexagon. The shape is comparable to the rivets on the Eiffel Tower.
The Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower were illuminated in the course of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (Photo: Ludovic Marin – Pool / Getty)
What is the connection to the Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower was the defining landmark of the 1889 World Exhibition. The original tower was made from wrought iron.
When the Eiffel Tower was renovated within the twentieth century, pieces of the unique iron were saved and stored. These chunks form the hexagonal figure in the middle of the Olympic gold medal.
According to several reports, each medal comprises 0.04 kilos of iron residue from the renovation of the Eiffel Tower.
Gold, silver and bronze medals were first awarded on the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis. It is estimated that 1,011 medals can be awarded on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris – based on the Games' medal count (more medals were developed for team events). This is the primary time that a chunk of a city's historic landmark has been included in an Olympic medal.
How much is an Olympic gold medal price?
According to Forbes, an Olympic gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics is price about $950.
What happens on the medal ceremony?
The gold medal can be placed across the neck of the winning athlete on the rostrum. The athlete may also receive a stuffed souvenir of the Paris 2024 mascot. The national anthem of the winning athlete's country will then be played – a convention that began for gold medalists at medal ceremonies in 1932.
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