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OLYMPIC Games lovers have been left stumped by the puzzling brown boxes gifted to medal-winning athletes at the Paris 2024 Summer Games.
Podium holders this year are being given a unique gift alongside the customary medals.
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Winning shooters showing off their gifts during the awarding ceremony after the 10m air pistol women’s final shootingAlamy
GettyWinning athletes have been pictured not only showing off their prestigious medals but also waving brown boxes – and organisers have confirmed it contains a mysterious gift.
It has since been revealed that the boxes contain copies of the official Paris 2024 event poster for the athletes to take home with them as a memorable souvenir.
The Summer Games’ poster shows an animated version of Paris highlighted by a red Eiffel Tower and the Seine – along with an “XXXIII Olympiade” engraved for the 33rd edition of the Games.
Designed by French illustrator Ugo Gattoni, it also details a utopian stadium-city that features the city’s iconic landmarks and Olympic venues – painted in a splash of the French flag colours.
Gattoni authored the book “Bicycle” during the London 2012 Summer Games, which had drawings of a giant cycle race through the streets of Britain’s capital.
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”.
Olympic Games posters have been part of the sporting event’s rich history that dates back to the Stockholm Games in 1912.
Every hosting nation has since produced such posters that showcase various symbols and significant elements specific to their games.
Interestingly, there are two versions of such posters that are created every season: One for the Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games.
However, this year marks the first time in the history of the Summer Games that the two posters have been designed to form a seamless image of Paris when combined.
In addition to the poster gifted inside the brown box, winning athletes are also given a miniature version of the Paris 2024 official mascot – Olympic Phryge – with “Bravo” written in French on the back.
Nonetheless, the customary medals contain an 18-gram chunk of metal from the Eiffel Tower – and are designed in the form of a hexagon that depicts Frace’s geographical shape.
The iron fragments were removed from the iconic tower and preserved during renovations in the late 20th century, DailyMail reports
The precious metal gongs have also been designed to sparkle and shine through 3D rays to show the “radiance” of the athletes.
What’s on at the Olympics TODAY?
By Joshua Jones, Sport reporter
THE PARIS 2024 Olympics are now well underway as we head into a jam-packed day three.
SunSport brings you all the action taking place in the French capital on a thrilling second day.
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
Tom Daley looks to retain his 10m synchro diving gold, this time with Noah Williams instead of Matty Lee (10am).
Tatt-mad Matt Richards and Tokyo silver star Duncan Scott are battling for 200m freestyle gold in the swimming pool (7.40pm).
Tom Pidcock goes in the mountain biking cross-country after winning gold three years ago (1.10pm) and it is the finals of equestrian eventing (team 11.15am, individual 2pm).
BRITS TO WATCH
The men’s team gymnastics final – featuring Max Whitlock – starts at 4.30pm.
In hockey, Team GB women face Australia in their second pool match of this year, looking to make it bronze, gold, bronze, gold in the last four Olympics (4pm).
And there are Brits galore in the sailing down in Marseille (from 11am).
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
Swimmers Lilly King, Tatjana Smith, Ruta Meilutyte and Tang Qianting make up a star-studded quartet going for women’s 100m breaststroke gold (8.30pm).
It’s Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal in a blockbuster second-round singles clash at Roland Garros, the tennis superstars’ 60th and probably final meeting (12.30pm).
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
Ukraine’s six-time fencing world champion Olha Kharlan was sent a personal letter by IOC chief Thomas Bach guaranteeing her place at a fifth Olympics.
She was disqualified from the fencing world champs last year for refusing to shake hands with her Russian opponent.
The women’s sabre final is at 8.45pm.
Schedule for Day 3 (Monday, July 29)
08:30/03:30 Shooting: W’s 10m air rifle final
10:00/05:00 Diving: M’s synchro 10m platform final
11:00/06:00 Shooting: M’s 10m air rifle final
11:15/06:15 Equestrian: Eventing team jumping final
12:15/07:15 W’s hockey: Spain vs USA
16:00/11:00 W’s hockey: Great Britain vs Australia
13:10/08:10 Cycling MTB: M’s cross country
14:00/09:00 Equestrian: Eventing individual jumping final
14:35/09:35 W’s water polo: USA vs Spain
16:00/11:00 Archery: M’s team gold medal match
16:20/11:20 Canoe Slalom: M’s canoe single final
16:30/11:30 Gymnastics: M’s team final; Judo W’s -57kg final, M’s -73kg final
19:30/14:30 Swimming: W’s 400m individual medley, M’s 200m free final
20:00/15:00 W’s basketball: USA vs Japan
20:20/15:20 Swimming: M’s 100m back final, W’s 100m breaststroke final, W’s 200m free final
20:45/15:45 Fencing: W’s sabre individual gold medal bout, M’s foil individual gold medal bout
Illustration at the unveiling of the official posters for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games by artist Ugo Gattoni at the Musee d’OrsayRex
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