The medals of the Olympic and Paralympic Games PARIS 2024

For the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the medal ribbon will be adorned with the crosspieces of the Eiffel Tower

A symbol of excellence, a source of motivation, of surpassing oneself and of ultimate achievement, medals are much more than objects: they represent the apotheosis in the career of elite athletes.

Their power to fascinate and inspire goes far beyond the circle of athletes. I see it when I take them with me on a trip, particularly in the eyes of children.

If medals hold such power, it is also because they have remained through history, edition after edition, ever since the modern Olympic Games were created. At Paris 2024, we were faced with a new challenge: to magnify the medals and ensure that they said something about our Olympic and Paralympic Games. We wanted these medals to be truly unique, to bear the Paris 2024 signature.

To achieve this, we married the strongest symbol of the Games, the medal, with the ultimate symbol of Paris and France around the world, the Eiffel Tower. In what has been a unique creative journey, with strong involvement from the Paris 2024 Athletes Committee, we have enjoyed the honour and fortune to work with the House of Chaumet, the world-renowned expert jeweller famous for its expertise, elegance and embodiment of French craftsmanship.

Thanks to Chaumet, the Paris 2024 medals have been designed likereal pieces of jewellery: on both sides, they will show the most beautiful face of France. With their piece of the Eiffel Tower, they will be totally unique, creating a genuine link between the medal-winning athletes and our country.

Finally, the Paris 2024 medals will represent the coming together of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Following the reveal of a single emblem, a pair of mascots, a common look of the Games and a single torch design, the Olympic and Paralympic medals also share a face with the same design: the reverse side encrusted with a fragment of the Dame de fer.

We are delighted and proud to present the medals for the Games of Paris 2024!

Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024

THE DESIGN OF THE PARIS 2024 MEDALS, A MEETING BETWEEN TWO ICONS

The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 are an opportunity for a meeting, or rather a reunion.

As the iconic monument of Paris and France in the eyes of the world, the Eiffel Tower welcomes the Games and its famous medals, and the medals of the Games welcome the Eiffel Tower.

THE EIFFEL TOWER AS THE CENTRAL FEATURE OF THE MEDALS

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. Erected to amaze the world at the 1889 Universal Exhibition, the Eiffel Tower is made entirely of a special type of iron known as “puddle” iron. Manufactured in the forges and blast furnaces of Pompey in Lorraine, the cast iron produced by reducing iron ore is refined by an operation called “puddling”. By removing the excess carbon still present in the cast iron, the resulting iron is almost pure and extremely strong.

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 Eiffel Tower, the daughter of Paris and site of major world events, had to be used to provide athletes with an unforgettable souvenir of Paris. With this unique metal from the Eiffel Tower, this medal has a historic character and is a nod to Pierre de Coubertin who, as a contemporary of Gustave Eiffel, was one of the last people to be able to visit the construction site of the Tower before it was opened.” Jean-François Martins, President of the Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel.

MEDALS DESIGNED AS JEWELLERY

In 1889, the Eiffel Tower was presented as the jewel in the crown of the Universal Exhibition organised to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution. To mark the return of the champions 100 years after the last Summer Games in France, the Paris 2024 medals have also been conceived as true pieces of jewellery.

In keeping with its desire to strengthen the links between sport, culture and heritage, Paris 2024 has called on the expertise of French jeweller Chaumet. Founded in 1780, the LVMH group company, Premium Partner of Paris 2024, is the first jeweller in the history of the Games to have the honour of creating the design of the Olympic and Paralympic medals. Renowned worldwide for its expertise, elegance and embodiment of French craftsmanship, Chaumet is bringing the medal into the world of high jewellery with a design based on three inspirations: the hexagon, radiance and the setting.

MAKE PEOPLE DREAM

“ As creative partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, we wanted to involve several of our Houses in this collaboration so that they could put the excellence of their craft at the service of this exceptional global event.

It’s the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games that a jeweller has designed the medals. The Maison Chaumet creative team has conceived each medal as a jewel, taking inspiration from the Parisian craftsmanship of its legendary Place Vendôme workshops and illustrating the vocation shared by all the Houses in our group: the ability to make people dream. LVMH is so proud to be part of this wonderful adventure! We hope that each athlete will enjoy wearing and admiring the medal as much as we enjoyed creating it for them.”

Antoine Arnault, LVMH Image & Environment

TWO MEDALS WITH A COMMON FACE AND RIBBON

Since the bid phase, Paris 2024 has been putting the same level of ambition into organising the Paralympic Games as it has into the Olympic Games.

The two Opening Ceremonies have been designed around the same philosophy of opening up, both in the city and to the public. In 2024, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will also share the same competition venues: the most beautiful monuments in Paris transformed into sporting showcases.

This desire to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games closer together is also reflected in the symbols of the Games. After revealing a single emblem, a pair of mascots, a common look of the Games and a unique torch design, it was obvious that the Olympic and Paralympic medals had to share a common face: the side set with the iron of the Eiffel Tower.

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”.

…AND TWO UNIQUE STORIES

Because the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games each have their own history, two unique stories are written on the other side of the medals.

The Olympic medal tells the story of the revival of the Games in Greece. A traditional figure on themedals since 2004, the goddess of victory, Nike,
is depicted in the foreground, emerging from the Panathenaic Stadium, where the Olympic Games were revived in 1896. The Acropolis is also depicted on the front of the Olympic medals. Especially for Paris 2024, it does not form the backdrop on its own: the Eiffel Tower faces it, mirrored on the other side of the Stadium. In this way, the inspiration for the Games of Ancient Greece, the French origins of the modern Olympic Games and their forthcoming edition in Paris are all represented.

For its part, the front of the Paralympic medal fully illustrates the creative choices made by Paris 2024 and Chaumet. A graphic representation of a low-angle view under the Eiffel Tower will enable the medallists to discover the Dame de fer from a hitherto little-represented angle. The words “Paris” and “2024” frame the pillars of the Tower and are written in universal Braille, a script symbolising accessibility and a reference to its French inventor, Louis Braille. To enable the three metals to be distinguished by touch, lines are engraved on the edge of the medal won: I for gold, II for silver and III for bronze.

CHAUMET: Gold at your fingers

To celebrate the return of the medals to France, Paris 2024 has entrusted the most coveted object of the Games to the expertise of the best French craftsmen. From the workshop of the House of Chaumet to that of the Hôtel de la Monnaie [the Paris Mint], the medals for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 have been designed and manufactured in France

A PARISIAN JEWELLER

Founded in the heart of Paris in 1780, the House of Chaumet has embodied Parisian spirit for over 240 years. Established on the Place Vendôme in 1812, Chaumet’s major clients have included many famous figures, including Gustave Eiffel, who commissioned some superb orders. Chaumet has also always asserted its Parisian identity through its creations, including a pendant representing the Vendôme Column and an Eiffel Tower brooch.

By designing the medals for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Chaumet is perpetuating this creative tradition with the extra soul and meaning that often characterise French spirit. The result is a design that captures the spirit of the times and plays with light. Inspired by motifs from the past, Chaumet delivers an innovative aesthetic that is deeply rooted in the present.

Chaumet’s creative teams were keen to draw inspiration from the House’s heritage and archives, and chose three timeless elements as a nod to the past for an eternal medal.

MEDALS

Throughout its history, Chaumet has created medals to celebrate life’s important moments. In the 1970s, for example, it created an entire collection based on the signs of the zodiac. More recently, it has been adorning the medals in one of its collections with a radiant motif in engraved gold, delicately punctuated with diamonds.

HEXAGON

Dear to the House of Chaumet, the hexagon motif has been revisited in a recent collection via the imperial symbol of the bee. Chaumet’s archives are full of drawings from the Art Deco period, in which hexagonal alveoli form enamelled jewels of extraordinary suppleness.

RADIANCE

A symbol of elevation, radiance was a highly prized motif in the Belle Époque and early 20th century, when women adorned themselves with radiant aigrettes [plumes on headdresses], often embellished with stars. Irina Youssoupoff’s triple sun tiara, created by Chaumet, whose rays radiate with diamonds, is certainly the most emblematic illustration. Even today, Chaumet continues to revisit this motif. Its aura adorns jewellery and high jewellery creations. (Find out more about Chaumet, House of Jewellery of the LVMH Group).

MEDALS STRUCK IN THE HEART OF PARIS

Designed on the right bank of the Seine, at Place Vendôme, the medals for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are being manufactured on the left bank, at the Hôtel de la Monnaie (French Mint), located on the quai de Conti. One hundred years after producing the medals for the 1924 edition, the Monnaie de Paris is once again applying its expertise to the Games.

To take shape, the medals for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 follow a more complex manufacturing process than that of a coin. Metal blanks previously cut into discs are sent to the Monnaie de Paris workshop, where they are struck several times in a press equipped with tools specially designed to bring out the design created by Paris 2024 and Chaumet.

As required by the IOC and IPC, the gold and silver medals are made from solid silver with a millesimal fineness of 925. Just like the six grams of gold used in the first- place medals, this silver is certified 100% recycled by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), one of the main regulatory bodies overseeing good practice in the supply of gold and precious metals. For the bronze used in the third-place medals, the copper alloy, tin and zinc come from reused scraps of metal that are a byproduct of other production processes of the Monnaie de Paris.

Between each strike, the medals are annealed in ovens to restore their original malleability, while a dip in a bath of acid mixed with water, known as “eau-forte”, removes any impurities. It is during a further strike, using polished pressing tools, that the iron hexagons originating from the Eiffel Tower are set into the medals to give them their unique appearance and perfect their identity.

Once the embossing and details appear clearly, the medals undergo a final process to create the “bail”, ie. the gap through which the ribbons are threaded. The bail is integrated within the medals so that they retain a perfectly round shape. Finally, the medals are varnished and matched with their ribbons. Made by looms located in Saint-Étienne, the ribbons of the medals for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are also the fruit of French expertise and craftsmanship.

THE MEDAL AN ICONIC OBJECT OF THE GAMES

The French origins of the revival of the Olympic Games need no further recounting, so famous are they already. Less well known, however, is the history of medals at the Games, which also began in the country of Pierre de Coubertin.

Presented in Athens in 1896, the first medals of the modern Olympic Games were not only designed by the Frenchman Jules-Clément Chaplain, but also made in France. At the time, the winners were rewarded with a silver medal and the second-place finishers with a bronze. It was not until the St Louisedition in 1904 that gold, silver and bronze were awarded to the first three places. The medal wasattached to a coloured ribbon with a pin so that it could be worn on the torso.

It was in Rome in 1960 that the Games medals were placed around the necks of the athletes for the first time. After the laurel chain, subsequent editions used a coloured ribbon, which is still used today. That same year, 1960, Rome also saw the birth of the first Paralympic Summer Games medals, when it hostedthe ninth edition of the International Stoke Mandeville Games, considered to be the first Paralympic Summer Games.

While no Paralympic Summer Games medals resemble another, the design of the Olympic medals has become standardised. Since 1928, the goddess of victory, Nike, and a victor carried in triumph have occupied the front and reverse of the Summer Olympic medals, respectively. In 1972, the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games of Munich introduced a new trend: breaking with tradition and creating a special reverse for each edition.

A further design adaptation of the Summer Games medals was introduced for the Olympic Games Athens 2004 with an updated version of the obverse. The front now featured the goddess Nike, emerging from the Panathenaic Stadium, tosymbolise the non-sporting dimension of a victory at the Games. The medals must also include the Olympic rings, the full names of the edition and the discipline or sport concerned. The reverse side is left to the creativity of the Organising Committee, which adds its emblem and can choose to represent the visual identity of the edition or cultural elements of the host country.

Although Paralympic medals are subject to same requirements in terms of size, weight, names, representation of the Agitos and the emblem of the Organising Committee, the design of the two sides has always been freer.

Each Organising Committee can therefore express its inventiveness and include the symbols it wishes on the Paralympic medals. Tactile elements must also make the medal attractive to athletes with vision impairments.

THE MEDALS OF THE GAMES IN PARIS

When the Games are held in Paris, the medals make a lasting impression. The design of the French line of medals, with its blend of bold rupture and historic symbols, never leaves people indifferent.

The medals from the Olympic Games Paris 1900 stand out as the only rectangular example from the Summer Games. On the front, the winged goddess holds laurel branches in both hands, above the city of Paris and the monuments of the Universal Exhibition. On the reverse, a victorious athlete holds up a laurel branch, with a stadium and the Acropolis of Athens in the background.

For Paris 1924, the medals returned to the traditional round shape associated with the Summer Games. On the front, a victorious athlete lifts up his opponent sitting on the ground, above the first representation of the Olympic rings on a medal. The reverse pays tribute both to the cultural programme of the Games, with the depiction of a harp, and to the organisation of the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix in the same year, with various pieces of sports equipment.

After starting in 1896 and continuing through 1900 and 1924, the history of medals is once again being written in France. With Paris 2024, this new page promises to be… monumental. Find out more about olympics medals and paralympic medals

Πηγή/photo credits: Paris2024