Olympics fans tuning into the Paris 2024 Games have been intrigued by what medallists are being given as podium bonuses – while the medals themselves have a historic extra element hidden inside.
Team GB made its best Olympics start in 40 years with two bronzes and a silver on the opening weekend, before swimmer Adam Peaty added another silver on Sunday night.
As well as the customary medal, which at Paris contains a hexagonal piece of the Eiffel Tower set into the gong, winners receive two additional gifts.
Podium winners also take home the official Paris 2024 mascot wearing the colour medal they have won, but eagle-eyed viewers have noticed they are presented with a rectangular cardboard box.
Medalists have been pictures showing off their metal awards, but also waving the brown boxes which, organisers have confirmed contains another ‘mysterious’ gift.
France’s rugby sevens team are presented their medals and winner’s boxes during the men’s ceremony on Saturday
Team GB bronze medalist Kimberley Woods clutches her winner’s box after coming second in the women’s kayak single final
France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton holds her son Mathis after being presented with her silver medal and winner’s box
Britain’s first silver medalist of Paris 2024, cyclist Anna Henderson, poses with her official poster which is shown rolled up in the rectangular box
Inside the 40cm long boxes is in fact a rolled up copy of the official Paris 2024 Olympic poster.
The artistic drawing depicts a cartoon version of Paris, dominated by a red Eiffel Tower and the Seine, with the words ‘XXXIII Olympiade’ for the 33rd edition of the Games.
Designed and drawn by Parisian illustrator Ugo Gattoni, the poster also shows a diver in the bottom right corner watching the sports spectacle in front of the city’s famous monuments.
Gattoni previously wrote the book ‘Bicycle’ in the year of the London 2012 Summer Games, containing drawings of a giant cycle race through the streets of Britain’s capital.
The artist has also designed scarves for French top end fashion label Hermes.
Joachim Roncin, director of design at Paris 2024, said he wanted the drawing to ‘tell the story of Paris 2024’ as an ‘overview of the entire project’.
The boxes contain a copy of the Paris 2024 official poster, designed by Parisian illustrator Ugo Gattoni
Medalists will also receive a miniature version of the Paris 2024 official mascot – the Olympic Phryge
Medalists for the women’s 10m air pistol pose with their gongs and boxes on the podium
In another unique touch for Paris 2024, medals contain an 18-gram chunk of the Eiffel Tower in the shape of a hexagon – a reference to France’s geographical shape and nickname l’hexagon.
The iron fragments were removed from the iconic tower and preserved during renovations in the late 20th century.
The precious medals have also been designed to sparkle and shine through 3D rays to convey the ‘radiance’ of the athletes.
Medalists will also get a miniature version of the Paris 2024 official mascot, the red Olympic Phryge with their medal emblem sewn into its belly, and the word ‘bravo’ written in French on the back.
