Phryges have been unveiled as the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics’ official mascots

The Phrygian hat was announced as the official mascot of the upcoming summer Olympic and Paralympic Games on Monday by the Paris 2024 organizing committee.

With just over 600 days left until the start of the 2024 Olympic Games, the mascots, known as the Phryges, were announced. The design is the same for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a few minor variations.

The triangular Olympic Phryge has blue eyes, a tricolor ribbon, a cheerful smile, and large, brightly colored sneakers. The prosthetic leg used in the Paralympic edition extends to the knee.

“The mascots have always occupied a special place in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet. “They form the emotional bond between the Games and the people, contributing to the atmosphere and festive spirit in the stadiums and other Olympic venues.” Through the mascots, the organizers hope to convey the notion that sport has the power to transform society and that it merits a prominent position in it.

The statement from Paris 2024 read, “It’s time to bring the sport into our everyday lives — all sports and every way of experiencing sport — through participation and encouragement,”

Beginning on November 15, the Paris 2024 official store will sell mascot-related merchandise that has been granted a license.

The first figure to show up as an unofficial mascot at the 1968 Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble was a man on skis named Schuss.

A multicolored dachshund named Waldi was regarded as the first official mascot of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Since then, mascots have evolved into the most well-known and enduring Olympic ambassadors at each iteration of the Games.