What’s in the mysterious gift box that Olympic winners receive with their medals?

This weekend, the first medals were awarded at the Olympic Games in Paris. But the athletes did not only receive medals.

During the Rugby Sevens medal ceremony on Saturday, players from the winning teams – France, Fiji and South Africa – were presented with a thin cardboard box.

According to the Olympics, the mysterious gift is an official poster for the Games. This summer, medal-winning athletes will receive a poster alongside a bronze, silver or gold medal.

The posters were designed by Parisian illustrator Ugo Gattoni. In an interview with the Olympics in March, Gattoni said it took him four months and 2,000 hours to create the illustrations.

The posters for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be unveiled at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris on Monday, March 4, 2024. Vibrant colors and striking landmarks illuminate the Paris Olympic Games posters in an Art Deco style inspired by the city's flamboyant past.

The posters for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be unveiled at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris on Monday, March 4, 2024. Vibrant colors and striking landmarks illuminate the Paris Olympic Games posters in an Art Deco style inspired by the city’s flamboyant past.

The colorful posters — all handmade — are packed with detail and symbolism, paying homage to both the world’s biggest sporting event and the city of love. Details include a gold medal, the Paris Olympics mascot, the boats seen in the opening ceremony, breakdancing, and iconic French landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the River Seine. (Can you spot them all in the animation below?) Fans can also purchase the posters online at the Olympic store.

Speaking of mascots, medal-winning athletes will also be treated to a plush version of this summer’s mascot: the red hood, also known as the Phrygian cap, which was worn by Marianne, the artistic personification of the Free French Republic.

Mascots of the 2024 Paris Olympics, left, and the Paralympic Games, right, both wearing Phrygian caps.

Mascots of the 2024 Paris Olympics, left, and the Paralympic Games, right, both wearing Phrygian caps.

The stuffed animal, which is presented after the medal ceremony, features a gold, silver or bronze medal emblem on the mascot’s belly and the word “Bravo” in French on the back of the stuffed animal, according to the Olympic Games.

Paralympic medal winners also receive a cuddly toy with the word “Bravo” in Braille.

Copyright 2024 NPR

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