paralympic medals: stories behind the designs: the meaning behind each medal.

About the medals

The gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to competitors at the Olympics and Paralympics represent the highest levels of athletic achievement at the Games. The design of the medals is the responsibility of the host city's organizing committee, and varies with each edition of the Games.

Awarded to the top three finishers in each of the competitions at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the medals are highly symbolic.

From 28 August to 8 September, 549 events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will award medals in 22 disciplines. The medals devised by the organisation have a number of similarities with their Olympic cousins. "We wanted the medals to be the same for both Olympic and Paralympic athletes", explained Martin Fourcade, five-time Olympic biathlon champion and Chairman of the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Commission, several months ago.

Firstly, they are genuine jewels designed by the Chaumet jewellery house and minted by the Monnaie de Paris. Secondly, one of the two sides is exactly the same, with a piece of the Eiffel Tower cut into a hexagon, the geometric shape of France, at its centre. Stripped of its ‘Eiffel Tower brown’ paint, the puddled iron is returned to its original colour. Placed centrally and stamped with the emblem of the Paris 2024 Games and the Agitos, this piece of heritage blends elegantly with the gold, silver and bronze to give the medals a two-tone effect.