It is not just medals that the champions have been receiving on the podium during the Paris Olympics. In lieu of things such as flowers or wreaths, athletes are also being handed long cardboard boxes with no markings on them. So what is in them? A bottle of French champagne? Maybe a freshly baked cake? Let us find out.
According to the Olympics committee, the mysterious gift is an official poster for the Games, which was designed by Parisian illustrator Ugo Gattoni. In an interview with the Olympics several months ago, Mr. Gattoni said the illustrations took him four months and 2,000 hours to create. The poster features Paris’s greatest monuments: from Pont Alexandre III to the Eiffel Tower, the Stade de France, and the Arc de Triomphe.
Wanted to tell countless things: Ugo Gattoni
Other details include a gold medal, the Paris Olympic mascot, and the boats featured at the opening ceremony. New sports making their debut at the Games, including skateboarding and breaking are also referenced in the illustration. “I wanted the poster to tell countless things, to be full of symbols. There are many small details, they’re stories within the stories,” Mr Gattoni said.
The posters form part of a tradition that dates back to the Stockholm Games in 1912, with every organizing committee producing posters that highlight various elements, symbols, and values specific to their games.
Once they step off the podium, athletes are also given another item – a gold, silver or bronze mascot, depending on the colour of the medal.
These plush toys depicting the Phryge – the little Phrygian cap – serving as the mascot for Paris 2024 are made in France, and include a medal-coloured emblem sewn onto their front and the word “Bravo” on their back.
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