Winning an Olympic gold medal is considered a crowning achievement for an athlete. For the Paris 2024 Olympics, the physical gold medal holds special significance as it incorporates a piece of the iconic Eiffel Tower, symbolizing the connection between the athletes and the host city.
Fascinating Facts About Paris 2024 Olympic Gold Medals
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- Number of Medals: Approximately 5,084 medals have been created for Paris 2024, with around 2,600 for the Olympics and 2,400 for the Paralympics.
- Weight: The Olympic gold medal weighs 1.17 pounds, while the silver medal weighs 1.16 pounds, and the bronze medal weighs one pound.
- Designer: The Olympic medals were designed by Chaumet, a renowned French luxury jewelry and watch brand owned by LVMH.
- Features: The gold medal features a hexagon in the middle, representing France’s shape, surrounded by strands symbolizing radiant light, and claw settings resembling Eiffel Tower rivets.
- Eiffel Tower Connection: Each gold medal contains 0.04 pounds of iron renovation pieces from the Eiffel Tower, integrated into the hexagon figure.
- Value: An Olympic gold medal from Paris 2024 is estimated to be worth around $950.
- Medal Ceremony: At the ceremony, the gold medal is placed around the athlete’s neck, and the national anthem of the winner’s country is played.
Interesting Tidbits about Olympic Gold Medals
The tradition of awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Olympics dates back to the 1904 St. Louis Games. Paris 2024 marks the first time that a historic landmark’s piece is incorporated into an Olympic medal, making each medal truly unique.
| Medal Type | Weight | Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1.17 pounds | Chaumet |
| Silver | 1.16 pounds | Chaumet |
| Bronze | 1 pound | Chaumet |
Don’t Miss These Olympic Reads
- Follow The Athletic‘s Olympics coverage for the latest updates.
- Discover top U.S. and non-U.S. athletes to watch at Paris 2024.
- Relive the iconic moments of the opening ceremony with Teddy Riner and Marie-José Pérec lighting the Olympic cauldron.
(Photo: Thomas Samson / AFP via Getty Images)
