Inside the army of Olympic mascots who dance in bizarre outfits with VERY rude likeness… only after intensive training
PARIS Olympic mascots can be spotted putting on shows for athletes and fans alike – but who’s actually underneath these red, triangular outfits?
The mascots, called the ‘Phryges’, have had more comparison to a part of the female anatomy than what they’re actually meant to be.
You will never see these odd triangles speak as their job is purely to dance, jump around and keep morale high among fans and the competing athletes.
But underneath the bizarre costumes are professional dancers that have rehearsed tirelessly like competing athletes.
In a dance club on the outskirts of Paris, situated on the Ourcq canal, are a couple dozen of dancers that practice to perfect the mascots mimes and movements.
The group are practically all-female, made up of dancers aged 19 to 33 – and they all appear to love the job.
Speaking to La Parisien, one dancer Clara Sivaslian, 22, said: “We feel as if we’re doing something historic.
“When you’re in the costume, you immediately get into character.”
She continued to say how she was eager to “make the public, the children, dream, to see the smiles of people’s faces.”
Around 200 dancers will take turns in doing some kind of routine for a lengthy 30 minutes, showing how being a mascot requires intense fitness and strength.
On top of this, there is reportedly little mobility in the costume.
But dancers don’t complain, saying the outfit is not too heavy and there are even internal blowers that inflate the mascot while also limiting heat.
Laura Charles, the dance coach for the mascots, described why rehearsals were so important in creating a magical experience for Olympics visitors.
She said: “We had to think about the gestures that we can make, those that we should avoid, so that it is both pleasant and comfortable for the actors and very visual for the audience.
“We need to amplify certain gestures a lot.”
The Paris 2024 Olympics are now well underway as we head into a jam-packed day four.
SunSport brings you all the action taking place in the French capital on a thrilling day.
How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics
Discovery+ is the main rights holder for the Paris 2024 Olympics and will provide “wall-to-wall linear coverage on its Eurosport channels (1 and 2), along with seven dedicated Olympic ‘pop-up’ channels”.
A special Olympics offer is available for £3.99 per month, which will grant you access to the discovery+ streaming service.
You can access discovery+ by downloading the app onto your smartphone/tablet or by visiting discovery+.com.
The BBC will be broadcasting any events with British interest and major competitions across all of their channels, app, website and on iPlayer for FREE, providing you have a valid TV license.
BBC One and Two will air the biggest events from the 33rd Olympic Games and will provide an Olympics Extra channel available on iPlayer, Red Button and online.
However, the BBC can only show two events happening at any moment live at the same time due to discovery+ being the main European rights holder.
What are the mascots meant to be?
FANS have been trying to guess what the Paris Olympic mascots are actually meant to be - with some saying the outfits resemble a part of the female anatomy.
But the Phryges are supposed to resemble a triangular Phrygian cap.
The cap reportedly became a symbol of liberty during the French Revolution between 1787 and 1799.
It was used by revolutionaries as the “red cap of liberty” and has continued to be associated with the national allegorical figure of ‘Liberté’.
It appears in multiple paintings commemorating the revolution, like the iconic ‘Liberty leading the People’ hanging up in the Louvre Museum.
It came from the ancient country of Phrygia in Anatolia and is seen in ancient Greek art as the type of headdress worn by all inhabitants of Anatolia, according to Brittanica.
Seven bizarre moments you might have missed from the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony
PARIS 2024's epic four-hour long Opening Ceremony provided some spectacular, X-rated... and downright bizarre moments.
Here are some of SunSport’s highlights.
Lady Gaga wowed the crowd by the River Seine as sang a cabaret set… in FRENCH.
But it didn’t go to plan for one poor dancer who FELL OFF the stage.
Fans watching on TV were left in stitches by some of the dad dancing on show.
And one dancer gave a BILLION fans viewing worldwide far more than they bargained for with an Inbetweeners-style X-rated wardrobe mishap.
In the UK, BBC viewers were all switching over to Eurosport when they found out who was hosting.
Fans were stunned to see a forgotten Premier League winner as his nation’s flag-bearer on the Seine procession.
While some viewers were worried Serena Williams was going to THROW UP during a very choppy boat ride with the Olympic torch.