THE medal design for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris has been unveiled, with each recipient set to pick up a unique piece of the Eiffel Tower.
The medals will feature a hexagon-shaped piece of iron taken from the original Eiffel Tower in their centre, organisers have revealed.
All 5,084 gold, silver and bronze medals for the Paris Games will feature the six-edged metal medallion which will be set like a gemstone under a design by elite French jewellery house Chaumet.
Tony Estanguet, head of the local organising committee, said: “We wanted to offer to all medal-winners at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics a piece of the Eiffel Tower from 1889.
“A combination of the most precious metals from the medals – gold, silver and bronze – with the most precious metal in our country, from this treasure that is the Eiffel Tower.”
The design by Chaumet also features a circular arrangement of ridges intended to catch the light and evoke the sun’s rays.
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The iron hexagon – a shape which echoes the contours of mainland France – is held in place by six spurs on each corner which are intended to resemble the rivets used on the Eiffel Tower.
Thierry Reboul, the director of ceremonies, went on to explain: “We found out that over the years during the maintenance of the Eiffel Tower that they were obliged to remove some of the original structure.
“We used these pieces. There were more than enough of them.”
Paris organisers requested that the traditional medal design – which includes Greek goddess Nike flying into the historic Panathinaikos stadium in Athens on the back – be slightly altered so that they could add an Eiffel Tower to the scene.
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All the metal used in the Paris medals, which weigh around half a kilogram, has been recycled.
They will be manufactured by the national mint, which has strongly denied a recent report that it has struggled to find a non-toxic agent to coat each one.
The puddle iron used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower in particular needs protection from air and humidity to prevent it from oxidising.
However, Joachim Roncin, head of design for the Paris Games, insisted: “We’ve not had any issue with this.”
Chaumet is one of the more than 70 leading luxury brands owned by French conglomerate LVMH, which is a major corporate sponsor.
Other LVMH brands including Berluti, Dior and Louis Vuitton are also set to feature at the Paris Olympics under the company’s sponsorship deal.
The Eiffel Tower is set to have a central role during the Olympic Games which will run from July 26 to August 11 and the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
