Paris 2024 Olympic Games: the Olympic rings will remain on the Eiffel Tower, says Hidalgo

During the London 2012 Olympic Games, the five giant Olympic rings were installed on Tower Bridge. For this Olympiad in Paris, an emblematic monument of the capital will host these blue, yellow, black, green and red rings. The Eiffel Tower is the obvious choice, since the Iron Lady is a much-loved symbol of Paris for tourists.

A few weeks before the start of the competition, which takes place as early as July 26, 2024, the rings were placed aloft on the night of June 6-7. These Olympic rings, measuring 29m wide by 13m high, were made by ArcelorMittal from recycled steel and manufactured in France, and required four cranes and around thirty people to hoist them some 60 meters off the ground. Between the first and second floors, they are now clearly visible to all, on this 324-metre-high monument.

The Eiffel Tower continues to attract tourists from all over the world. But during these Games, the French and Parisians seemed to rediscover and appreciate once again this iconic Iron Lady. It has to be said that the Eiffel Tower is a must-see decoration at these Paris 2024 Olympic Games, present on the Olympic and Paralympic medals , but also inside, since a piece of the monument is included!

It also played an important role in the opening ceremony, hosted the beach volleyball and cecifoot events, and was part of the landscape of the Champions Park fan zone at the Trocadéro, where the medal winners were in contact with the public.

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In view of this enthusiasm, and above all thanks to the immense local and international success of the Olympic Games, Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, expressed her wish to keep the Olympic rings attached to the Eiffel Tower, as a lasting souvenir of this epic event.

This wish seems to have been fulfilled. In an interview with Ouest France, the mayor said: " As mayor of Paris, the decision is mine and I have the agreement of the IOC. So yes, [les] will stay on the Eiffel Tower ".

Don't panic, however, if you don't see them for a while. The current rings are very heavy, and not very weatherproof: so we had to create a lighter replica of the Olympic symbol, better able to withstand wind, rain and the vagaries of Parisian weather.

Anne Hidalgo explains that the IOC and ArcelorMittal are working together with the City of Paris on this project. The rings will also have to undergo a number of changes in order to blend in with everyday life in the capital. The Olympic Committee is keen to ensure political neutrality during the Games. The Eiffel Tower is often used to convey messages of support for other nations. The rings must therefore be concealed from view at such times.

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