Pieces of iron from the Eiffel Tower on Olympic medals in Paris

(Patria) - Each gold, silver and bronze medal that athletes will receive at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris will feature a hexagonal polished piece of iron taken from the Eiffel Tower.

These pieces weigh 18 grams and were cut from beams or other parts replaced during renovations of the Eiffel Tower and stored for safekeeping.

- The concept was adopted after several discussions. We realized there is one symbol known worldwide, and that is the Eiffel Tower. We asked ourselves if it was possible to obtain a part of it to insert into the medal.

The company agreed and the dream became reality. There really is a bit of metal from the Eiffel Tower there - said the head of design at the Organising Committee, Joachim Roncin.

The paint was removed from them, they were polished, lacquered and inserted into the medals, which bear the inscription "Paris 2024".

The medals also feature the Games logo, which resembles a flame or a woman's face with a modern bob haircut. The five Olympic rings are also embossed.

Around the iron are discs of gold, silver and bronze, textured to reflect light, making the medals shine. Organisers stated that all the metal is recycled, not newly mined.

For the Paralympic Games medals, scheduled from August 28 to September 8, the Paralympic logo is embossed.

The hexagonal shape represents France, as the French sometimes call their country "L'Hexagone" due to its shape.

A total of 5,084 medals will be produced, around 2,600 for the Olympic Games and 2,400 for the Paralympic Games, likely more than needed.

Some will be kept in case of reallocation after the Games, and some will be sent to museums. Other spare parts may be destroyed.

Gold medals weigh 529 grams, are made of silver and plated with six grams of gold. Silver medals weigh 525 grams, and bronze medals weigh 455 grams and are an alloy of copper, tin and zinc.

The medals are 85 millimetres in diameter and 9.2 millimetres thick. Organisers did not state the monetary value of the medals.

The Olympic Games in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11.