Paris 2024: presentation of the new medals!

Groupe BPCE, a Premium Partner of the Olympic & Paralympic Games Paris 2024, and all its companies are proud to present the medals of the Olympic & Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

The new medals epitomize the creativity of Paris 2024 with the adoption of an exceptional concept: the conjunction of the most coveted object of this event – the medal – with the emblematic representation of France and Paris: the Eiffel Tower. Each medalist will receive a piece of the Eiffel Tower’s original iron, placed at the heart of his or her medal. Paris 2024 worked on the design of the medal with Chaumet, a company belonging to the LVMH group, also a Premium Partner of Paris 2024. 

The Eiffel Tower at the center of the medals 

For the very first time, each medal of the Olympic & Paralympic Paris 2024 contains a highly symbolic and priceless piece of metal: a fragment of iron used to build the Eiffel Tower. By including metal from the most iconic representation of France’s heritage in the center of sport’s most prestigious medal, Paris 2024 gives continuity to the audacity expressed by Gustave Eiffel. By placing fragments of the Eiffel Tower at the center of its medals, Paris 2024 also hopes to enable athletes to take away with them an unforgettable memento of the games. 

The hexagon 

The original iron from the Eiffel Tower embedded in the medal is cut into a hexagon, the geometric shape that resembles the geographical outline of France to the point that the word ‘hexagone’ in French can be used as a nickname for the country itself. Centrally placed and embossed with the Paris 2024 emblem, this piece of French heritage is elegantly wedded with the gold, silver and bronze of the medals to create a two-tone face. 

Radiating lines

On the same side of the medal, a crown of fine lines radiate out from the iron hexagon at regular intervals. Stamped rather than engraved, these lines lend relief and radiance to a medal that avoids a bland smoothness. This creative idea expresses the radiating influence of France at the Olympic & Paralympic Games Paris 2024 combined with the prestige of the athletes whose performances will shine in the eyes of the world. 

The setting 

To unify these two icons, the Eiffel Tower and the medal, and combine the iron with gold, silver or bronze, it was necessary to draw on an equally symbolic set of skills. The piece of iron isn’t simply placed in the medal, it’s mounted on it. The hexagon is fastened to the medal by means of a ‘claw’ mounting traditionally used by Chaumet on its fine pieces of jewelry. This mounting is reminiscent of the ‘clous de Paris’ design used in jewelry, calling to mind the rivets used on the Eiffel Tower.

One side shared in common… two individual stories  

On February 10, 2024, with just 200 days to go before the start of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Paris 2024 reasserted its ambition to bring both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 closer together with this ‘Eiffel Tower side’ shared by the medals awarded in the two series of competitions. Because the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 each have their own history, two individual stories are expressed on the reverse side of the medals. The Eiffel Tower is also included there, as a signature element of the Paris 2024 medals as a whole. 
We hope that the athletes supported by Groupe BPCE and those in the France national team will all win as many of these medals as possible! 

To learn more: visit the Paris 2024 website