Paris is upholding its promise of delivering a “bold, original and unique” Olympic Games with their latest mascot announcement. On Monday, event organizers introduced Pyrges as the mascot for the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics.
The announcement continues a recent tradition at both the Olympics and upcoming World Cup to favor amorphous mascots over traditional animals. But what are the new mascots that will undoubtedly be featured all throughout Paris come summer 2024?
Here’s a look at the newly-revealed Pyrges.
What is a Phrygian cap?
A Phyrgian cap is a soft conical cap with a bent tip. These caps -- sometimes referred to as liberty caps -- date back to antiquity, but are most closely associated with the French republic. They were popularized during the French revolution and continue to appear in renderings of Marianne, a nation personification.
What do the Phryges mascots look like?
At first glance, the Phryges could easily be confused with birds with their triangular shape creating wings. But Olympic organizers are committed to the unique mascot, saying they chose an “ideal rather than an animal.”
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“For French people, it’s a very well-known object that is a symbol of freedom, an object that will represent mascots all around the world,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said.
The caps are red with blue and white accents, a nod to the three colors of the French flag. They also feature two little ribbons that serve as quasi-eyelashes with the same tri-colored flag pattern. The organizers also made history by ensuring that one of the Phryges is wearing a running blade, a visible reference to the over 4,000 athletes that will compete in the Paralympics.
“The fact that the Paralympics mascot has a visible disability also sends a strong message: to promote inclusion,” Estanguet said.
Do the Phryges have a name in Paris 2024?
As of now, there’s no name for these two caps but stay tuned over the next 20 months.
Most recently Bing Dwen Dwen captured the hearts of international fans at the Winter Games in Beijing. Prior to that, Miraitowa and Sooharang represented Tokyo and PyeongChang on the Olympic stage.
What are past Olympic mascots?
Olympic mascots are a longstanding tradition, dating back to 1968 when Shuss -- a skiing figurine – debuted at the Winter Games in Grenoble.
A complete list of past Olympic mascots are available here.
When do the 2024 Paris Olympics begin?
The Paris Olympics are a little over a year-and-a-half away with the Opening Ceremony set for July 26, 2024.
Event organizers are promising a “revolutionizing” Opening Ceremony that breaks from tradition by incorporating the many historical landmarks into the evening and converting the city of Paris into a venue in and of itself.
