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.
PARIS, FRANCE: JULY 29: The United States team of Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik and Frederick Richard on the podium with their bronze medals during the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Team Final at the Bercy Arena during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on July 29th, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) 
Medal bearers attend the podium ceremony of the men’s 200m butterfly swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 31, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) 
Gold medalist and winner Simone Biles of USA and bronze medalist Suni Lee of USA are posing during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s All-Around Final medal ceremony on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France (Photo by Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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.
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