Giant Paralympic Agitos revealed on the Arc de Triomphe
According to the IPC announcement, with just two
months to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, a
giant Agitos - the symbol of the Paralympic Movement - has been installed on
the French capital’s iconic Arc de Triomphe.
The installation
marks the first time in history a giant Paralympic Agitos has been displayed in
a host city before the start of the Olympic Games.
Although the
Paralympic Agitos was displayed on Tower Bridge for London 2012, Copacabana
Beach for Rio 2016, and Tokyo Bay for Tokyo 2020, installation only took place
after the conclusion of the Olympic Games.
The Agitos is
the visual representation of the Paralympic Movement. Their name comes from
Latin and means “I move” and the shape represents athletes from all over the
world coming together to a central point – the Paralympic Games. The three colours – red, blue and green -
represent the most widely spread colours used in national flags around the
world.
Andrew Parsons,
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President: "To see the Agitos,
the symbol of the Paralympic Movement, on one of the most recognisable
landmarks in the whole world is a very special moment and one that really does
announce that the Paralympic Games are imminent in Paris.”
Tony Estanguet,
President of Paris 2024 said: "I am proud to see these Paralympic Agitos
at the top of the Arc de Triomphe and that we are the first host country of the
Games to display them at the same time as the Olympic rings. From now on,
everyone will be able to see them in the heart of the capital, and on 28
August, the Avenue des Champs Elysées will become the Avenue of the Paralympic
Games for an Opening Ceremony at the Place de la Concorde that promises to be
unforgettable."
World’s most beautiful avenue
The Arc de
Triomphe is one of the most iconic landmarks on earth and attracts 1.75 million
visitors each year. Standing at 50m high, it sits at the top of one of the
world’s most beautiful avenues, the Champs-Elysees.
On 28 August,
around 250 million TV viewers from around the world will set their eyes on the
Champs-Elysées and Place de la Concorde as the two venues place host to Paris
2024’s unprecedented Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, the first time the
ceremony has been held outside of the stadium and in the heart of the city.
Installing the symbol
During the night
of 27 to 28 June, teams from ArcelorMittal, an official partner of the Paris
2024 Games, carried out this high-precision assembly on the monument, in
conjunction with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux and Paris 2024. The work
required the use of cranes, drones, and rope access technicians. The Agitos
were made in France from 100% recycled steel. Installed 44 metres above the
ground on the Arc de Triomphe, each Agitos is seven metres high and three
metres wide, and their total span will be 12 metres wide and nine metres high.
"We are
immensely proud to see the Arc de Triomphe, a symbol of Paris and France around
the world, adorned with the emblem of the Paralympic Games. In addition, the
Centre des Monuments Nationaux as a whole is taking part in the Olympic
movement, with the Flame being carried through many of its monuments and an
ambitious cultural programme echoing the Paris 2024 Games, such as the
exceptional exhibition on the history of the Paralympics at the Panthéon, which
illustrates the values of inclusion and surpassing oneself." Marie
Lavandier, President of the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN).
"After the
Olympic Rings, ArcelorMittal is delighted to have accompanied Paris 2024 in the
manufacture and installation of the Paralympic Agitos, symbols of our shared
values of inclusion, diversity and surpassing oneself. Manufactured in France
by ArcelorMittal teams proud to demonstrate their expertise, these Agitos are
made of 100% recycled steel, offering a reduced carbon footprint, in line with
Paris 2024's objectives of halving its CO2 emissions." Éric Niedziela,
Chairman of ArcelorMittal France.