The Paris 2024 Olympics was not only marked by an action-packed opening ceremony and thousands of athletes living out their dreams, it also included the addition of several new landmarks.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of the French capital hailed the Games as a success, telling the French daily Ouest-France the city would “never be the same again”.
Here’s what’s in store for the new landmarks after the Games;
Olympic rings
The Olympic rings were placed on the Eiffel Tower in June, prior to the start of the Games, moved from their pre-Games spot in front of the Hotel de Ville. They became an iconic background for tourists looking to take selfies with the Paris monument.
Hidalgo announced plans to keep them in place after the conclusion of the Games, noting that instead it would be five lighter rings of the same size because the current ones are “too heavy” to hold out for a long time.
She specified in a press conference last week that the rings would remain in place until at least 2028, when the Los Angeles Games will begin.
“Perhaps after 2028, they’ll stay and maybe they won’t. Let’s see,” she added.
The mayor’s plan has been met with criticism, including by the descendant of Gustave Eiffel himself.
The Olympic cauldron
As for the vasque – the hot air balloon that contained the Olympic and Paralympic flame during the Games – it is possible that it will stick around as well.
This was highly successful during the Olympic Games, and over 270,000 people ended up booking free tickets to admire the cauldron up close.
A new Parisian icon is born pic.twitter.com/VW4H84258t
— Michel Rose (@MichelReuters) July 28, 2024
Each evening during the Games the vasque carried the Olympic and then the Paralympic flame – although the ‘flame’ was actually an optical illusion using a cloud of mist and LED lights to make it appear to be on fire.
At nighttime, it floated into the air, making it visible along the Paris skyline.
Technically, the Olympic flame itself is now in Los Angeles, host of the 2028 Games, but there are consultations going on about keeping the hot-air balloon in Paris.
One proposal is to maintain it in the Tuileries Gardens. However, Hidalgo previously told the French press that this may be complicated, as the Gardens are technically state property, so French President Emmanuel Macron would have the final say.
The vasque could also be moved to La Villette in the 19th arrondissement in northern Paris.
There are also some technical challenges to consider as well. The hot-air balloon was only intended to be in use for a short period of time, and weather conditions can impact its ability to float into the sky.
Former prime minister Gabriel Attal told the French press that keeping the cauldron in Paris “would be a very nice idea”, and Emmanuel Macron said that he would consider it “in due course”, Franceinfo reported.
The silver horse
The silver mechanical horse, which galloped down the river Seine during the opening ceremony, also made quite the splash.
The horse is named Zeus – during the ceremony the rider it carried on its back was intended to represent Sequana, the Gallo-Roman goddess of the River Seine – and was designed by Blam workshop, based in Nantes in western France.
Zeus took over a year to build, and had to be fitted with a special flotation system for the opening ceremony.
The horse was available to visit at the courtyard of Paris’ Mairie until September 8th, but now its future is under discussion.
Pierre Rabadan, the head of sport and games with the Paris city hall, told Franceinfo that there could be a ‘Tour de France’ in store for Zues, as several towns have applied to exhibit him.
As for the horse’s rider – the mysterious masked figure who ran across rooftops during the opening ceremony – this outfit will reportedly be on display at the Palais Galliera fashion museum in Paris.
The female heroes of France
Statues of several female heroes from French history – Simone de Beauvoir, Olympe de Gouges, Simone Veil and Louise Michel – are another legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games. During the opening ceremony, they rose from the Seine as part of the ‘Sororité’ segment.
Anne Hidalgo has said previously that she hopes to install them permanently at the Porte de la Chapelle district in northern Paris in the 18th arrondissement.
The arrondissement’s mayor – Eric Lejoindre – told AFP that he supported the idea, which would involve putting the statues on either side of the rue de la Chapelle.
“As this is one of the main gateways into Paris, the idea of being greeted by women who have left their mark on the history of France seems to be the right one for us,” he said.
However, this plan is still not set in stone, as three municipalities in the Loire-Atlantique département (Saint-Nazaire, La Baule and Le Croisic) have asked the Olympic organising committee if they could host the statues.
Discussions are ongoing with the Paris city hall to make a decision.
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