What's in the cardboard box medalists get at the Paris Olympics?
PARIS (KNWA/KFTA) — As athletes receive the medals during the Olympic Games, they also receive a cardboard box. But what's inside?
Jessica Fox, an Australian canoer who has already won two gold medals in Paris, shared what was inside the box on her TikTok account.
Inside the cardboard box was a poster designed by French artist Ugo Gattoni.
"Usually, we get the mascot or we get flowers, but this time, it's a little bit more unique, and I think it's actually a really cool concept," Fox said.
The poster also came with gold details on it, and Fox said it could be gold, silver or bronze depending on the medal the athlete wins.
Gattoni told olympics.com in March that the poster took more than 2,000 hours over four months to create a colorful "fantasy city" full of notable Parisian landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
The poster also features multiple symbols of the Games, such as the Olympic Rings and medals. It also includes depictions of various sports, such as breaking, swimming and diving.
"There are many small details; they're stories within the stories," Joachim Roncin, the director of design for the 2024 Paris Olympics, said.
Among the intricate details in the poster, Gattoni hid eight Phryges, the official mascot of the Games, that have left many spectators confused as to what it is. The mascot is inspired by a Phrygian cap, a hat often worn by 18th-century French revolutionaries as a symbol of freedom.
In addition to the poster, athletes who win medals also receive a plushie of the Phryge with a gold, silver or bronze medal emblem sewn onto its belly. However, they receive those off the podium.
In addition, Olympics.com said that the 515 volunteers for the Games will receive all the gifts the medalists get.