An Olympic medal with an inlaid piece of the Eiffel Tower. How's that for a monumental prize? A hexagonal, polished chunk of iron taken from the iconic landmark is being embedded in each gold, silver, and bronze medal that will be hung around athletes' necks at the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games and Paralympics that follow. By making history at the Games, Paris medalists will take a bit of France and its history home, too. The AP takes a deep dive into the revolutionary medals that Paris organizers unveiled Thursday:
- Are these really Eiffel Tower chunks? Absolutely. The iron pieces embedded in the Olympic medals were cut from girders and other bits that were swapped out during renovations, according to Joachim Roncin, head of design for the Paris Games organizing panel. "We said to ourselves, 'Hey, what if we approached the Eiffel Tower Operating Co. to see if it's possible to get a bit of the Eiffel Tower to integrate into the medal?'" Roncin said. The company agreed.