Erm okay, so what on earth actually are the Paris 2024 Olympics mascots, the Phryges?

Genuinely thought they were supposed to be a poor imitation of the Eiffel Tower

4 months ago

If you’ve watched any of the Paris 2024 Olympics, whether through TikToks, memes or *gasp* the actual TV, you will have almost certainly seen the slightly terrifying mascots, the Phryges. There’s already something slightly eerie about mascots in general, but what exactly are the mascots supposed to be?

At first glance they look like a combination of a weird poo, crumpled Eiffel Tower and as one fan elegantly put it, “a clitoris.” But it’s safe to say there’s definitely nothing sexual about the Paris 2024 mascots, who play a key role during the Olympics and are actually called the Phryges.

Reminded of the 2024 Olympic mascots and audibly groaned. 😩 pic.twitter.com/B7t94gRrRz

— Busiris (@Busiris) April 2, 2024

The Phryges are actually based on the famous Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom in France. The cap has been worn throughout major events in French history, most notably during the revolution where the cap became a symbol of a free republic. The French National Archives show records of Phrygian caps worn during the construction of Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral in 1163, during the Revolution of 1789, during work to build the Eiffel Tower, and during the Paris 1924 Olympic Games.

There are two different Phryges, one for the Olympics and another for the Paralympics who has a running prosthetic. They’re both girlies, obviously, and even have their own personalities. The Olympic Phryge is described as “thoughtful and an astute strategist” who “is modest and prefers to hide her emotions.” What a mood.

France’s ambassador to the UK has had a meeting – documented by official photos – with the Olympic mascots and there’s not one thing about this I don’t love pic.twitter.com/0S9H8xY6c5

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As for the Paralympic mascot, she “hates being bored and loves to try new things.” The Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet explained why they chose the caps to be their mascots, saying: “We chose an ideal rather than an animal. We chose the Phrygian cap because it’s a very strong symbol for the French Republic. For French people, it’s a very well-known object that is a symbol of freedom, an object that will represent mascots all across the world. The fact that the Paralympics mascot has a visible disability also sends a strong message: to promote inclusion.”