PARIS (Reuters) – Phrygian caps will be the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots as organisers look to celebrate the French revolution’s spirit.
“‘Phryges’ aim to show that sport can change everything, and that it deserves to have a prominent place in our society,” Paris 2024 brand director Julie Matikhine said on Monday.
The Phrygian caps were favoured over animals, who have mostly been the first choice in other Olympics – such as the ‘Bing Dwen Dwen’ panda at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing this year.
“We were almost ready not to make a mascot if we didn’t find a real reason to do so, and a real message to convey,” said Matikhine.
“The mascot must embody the French spirit, which is something very fine to grasp. It’s an ideal, a kind of conviction that carries the values of our country, and which has been built up over time, over history.”
The red Phrygian caps come in two versions – the Olympic and the Paralympic one – with a blade leg.
The Olympic Games will be held from July 26-Aug. 11 and the Paralympics from Aug. 28-Sept. 8.
(This story has been refiled to remove extra “to” in lead)
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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