They were presented Monday in Paris. The mascots of the next Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 represent Phrygian caps and have a story of their own.
They succeed Miratowa and Someity, the mascots of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games. Unlike these two futuristic characters inspired by manga, they have no first name and this time send spectators back to the past. “Les Phryges”, mascots of Paris 2024, were presented this Monday in front of journalists from all over the world. And the expectation was great. Was the organizing committee going to follow the tradition of animal mascots, launched in 1972 by Waldi, this little dachshund star of the Munich Games, or was it going to try to surprise with an innovative choice? It is towards the second option that Tony Estanguet and his teams have decided to lean.
The “Phryges” presented Monday at a press conference.
© Paris 2024/DR
“The Phryges” are neither animals nor human beings but are inspired by the Phrygian cap, a symbol of “freedom and French games”, it was explained. The “Olympic Phryge” and the “Paralympic Phryge”, somewhat reminiscent of the yellow Minions from the animated film of the same name, are more than just publicity images. With them, the organizers hope to “lead a sporting revolution” and bring about a change in the habits of the French.
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The generations of “Phrygians”
The Phrygian cap “represents today a common reference for the French: in Art (as an allegory of freedom), in French institutions (as a symbol of the Republic, it caps Marianne in town halls) , and is declined in everyday objects (such as stamps, coins, and children’s textbooks)”, is it written in a press release. By choosing the Phrygian cap that caps Marianne, the organizing committee has once again straddled republican and revolutionary rhetoric, as it had done for the route of the marathon which follows the route of the women’s march of October 5, 1789.
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To understand the story of the “Phryges”, the organizers invited the public to rediscover their childhood soul. The two mascots were not born with the Games. They are thousands of years old, their first traces were found in the Lascaux Caves, we are told, with supporting images.
The “Phryges” are several generations old. Here, on the walls of the Lascaux Caves.
© Paris 2024/DR
They are also found in the famous painting “Freedom leading the people” or in a gallery belonging to Claude Monet. “These are generations of Phryges who follow one another, at each of the revolutions in France, they were there”.
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“Liberty Leading the People” and a “Phryge”.
© Paris 2024/DR
The two mascots chosen for the Games each have their own personality. The “Olympic Phryge” is described as “Cartesian, charming, cautious, with a cunning spirit, a bit of a mule head”, unlike her comrade the “Paralympic Phryge”, “mega party girl, spontaneous, creative and turned towards others” . Both, in their own way, have a specific goal: to lead their revolution through sport and achieve “an ideal”.
toys made in china
During the press conference, the French taekwondo champion Gwladys Épangue said she was “very seduced” by this choice, considering that they are the most beautiful mascots. On social networks, the reactions were more mixed, with some linking the design of the “Phryges” to an organ of the female genitalia… The choice not to give them a first name was also commented on, with many believing that foreign visitors might find it difficult to pronounce the word “Phryge”. But the committee explained that this was a bias, recalling that the French language is complicated no matter what.
The different expressions of “Phrygians”.
© Paris 2024/DR
Another subject of debate, the manufacture of stuffed animals is mostly made in China. “In France, the entire toy industry has been relocated to Asia. But the stuffed animals meet specifications concerning materials and working conditions. But the goal is to relocate the production of these toys to France, like a legacy, ”we are assured. Mascots are a great French tradition. If the first official mascot dates back to the Munich Games, a previous character had already appeared at the Grenoble Games in 1968. It was then a man on skis called Schuss. From his mountains, he will undoubtedly watch over Paris and “Les Phryges”.
