As athletes step onto the podium to receive their medals, they are also presented with a slender, gold box. But what’s inside?
Inside the 40-centimeter box is the official poster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as per the official Olympics website.
A video posted by the NBC Olympics and Paralympics X account on August 2 reveals that these posters are a new addition to the athletes' gifts.
"In the past, host countries have given athletes items like stuffed animals, so this is a new take-home item for the medal winners," the speaker in the video mentions.
It's all about the hardware in Paris. 🥇🥈🥉Here are some fun facts about the 2024 #ParisOlympics medals. pic.twitter.com/oaVbmeDdFj
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2024
Australian canoeist Jessica Fox, a two-time gold medalist at this year’s Summer Games, showcased the unique memorabilia in a TikTok video on July 31.
"A lot of people have been asking, 'What's in the box that we get given on the podium when we receive our medals in Paris,'" Fox said in the clip.
"Usually, we get the mascot or flowers, but this time, it’s something more unique, and I think it’s actually a really cool concept," she added.
Fox unrolled her vibrant poster with a gold detail, explaining that it can be gold, silver, or bronze, matching the athlete’s medal.
Renowned illustrator Ugo Gattoni, who dedicated nearly four months and 2,000 hours to its design and production, created the poster. He shared this in a March interview on Olympics.com.
@jessfoxcanoe Replying to @tanyamckee8 #paris2024 #olympics #canoeslalom ♬ original sound - Jessica Fox
Joachim Roncin, the design director for the 2024 Paris Olympics, told Olympics.com that he "wanted the poster to tell countless things, to be full of symbols."
"There are many small details, they're stories within the stories," he added.
Gattoni’s design depicts a "fantasy city" that also serves as a grand stadium, featuring Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, River Seine, and Arc de Triomphe. It also includes symbols of the Games, such as the Olympic rings, the Agitos, and Olympic medals, along with illustrations of various sports like diving, breaking, and swimming.
For the first time in Summer Games history, both the Olympic and Paralympic posters were designed together, according to the Olympics website. Though each poster can stand alone, when combined, Gattoni’s design forms a single, unified image.
Gattoni created the poster by hand and is "very happy with it," as mentioned in his March interview on the Olympics website. He expressed excitement about seeing "how much people appreciate it."
According to the Olympic Museum's official website, posters have been a tradition since the early 20th century.
In addition to the poster, medalists will receive a mascot plush toy, inspired by Phrygian caps, with their medal’s color and the word "Bravo" in French, as stated on the Olympics website.
This year’s medals also carry a special touch: each gold, silver, and bronze medal includes an 18-gram hexagonal piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower, embedded in its design. The iron was sourced from the landmark during its renovations, adding a piece of Parisian history to each medal, according to the NBC Olympics & Paralympics X account video posted on August 2.