Paris, May 24: The Organising Committee of the Paris 2024 has unveiled the podiums, the ultimate symbols of performance, for the Olympics, which will be held from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympic Games, which takes place from August 28 to September 8. The podiums were unveiled at the Organising Committee’s Pulse headquarters in Saint-Denis on Thursday evening. These podiums will be used for 329 medal ceremonies at the Olympic Games, as well as 549 ceremonies at the Paralympic Games. World Para-Athletics Championships 2024: Five World Records Broken in a Single Day as China Win Six Medals.

"The podiums feature a design inspired by the famous metal arches created by Gustave Eiffel, which can be seen in the lines and curves that adorn the podium's facade. Two colours were chosen for the podiums: grey for the surfaces, in reference to the zinc roofs of the Paris skyline, and a discreet off-white to allow full focus on the athletes and Para-athletes and the celebration of their winning performances," the organising committee statement read.

The recycled podiums for Paris 2024, which were designed and manufactured locally in France, follow a project similar to that initiated by P&G for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and highlight the Worldwide Olympic Partner’s commitment to reducing plastic waste, accelerating sustainable packaging and improving recycling systems. The podium is assembled using a modular system. Thus, modules can be added or removed to lengthen or shorten the podium surface as needed – team sports require longer podiums than individual sports. The shortest podium measures 4 m long while the largest, dedicated to football, measures 33 meters long.

Designed with the same concept as the Olympic podium, the Paralympic podium stands out for its single-level configuration. Gold medallists will celebrate their achievements in the centre of the podium, behind a raised facade. There will be a ramp so the podium is accessible for all athletes. Olympic gold medalists will stand on a 35cm high podium, while silver and bronze medalists will stand on a 20cm high podium. Preetismita Bhoi Smashes Clean and Jerk World Record for Gold Medal at World Youth Championship 2024, Jyoshna Sabar Clinches Silver (Watch Video).

The same design will be used for the Paralympics, but the top three athletes will all stand on a 20cm high podium with a sloped ramp on the side for wheelchair accessibility. Each podium weighs approximately 45 kilograms. The Organising Committee has prepared a total of 685 modules, 45 of which are reserved as backup modules. “For an athlete, stepping onto the podium is a moment of pride and emotion, and the ultimate victory: they hang a medal around your neck and, in an instant, the dream becomes a reality," said Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet.

"We are happy to unveil the podiums for the Paris 2024 Games, the design of which aligns with our medals, which feature a part of the Eiffel Tower, and draw inspiration from the work of the great French architect Gustave Eiffel, whose lines and curves stand out as unique in the world. "With these podiums, which are made in France from French wood and 100 per cent recycled plastic, we are providing the athletes with a special stage on which they will be proud to stand and wear their country’s colours before the eyes of the whole world," he said.

The podiums also form part of Paris 2024’s commitment to hosting more sustainable Games that embrace the circular economy: entirely manufactured and produced in France, they are made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and include a wooden structure of sustainably sourced French poplar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 24, 2024 12:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).