Paris 2024 Olympics: Where have the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower gone ?

The Olympic rings hanging on the Eiffel Tower since June 2024 have been removed, waiting in principle to be replaced by a more permanent structure to remain there until 2028 as the Paris city hall wants.

The rings in five colors – 29 meters long, 15 meters high – stood between the first and second floors of the Iron Lady.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants this symbol of the Olympics to remain on the capital's iconic monument until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But the thirty-ton structure made by steelmaker Arcelor Mittal was not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.

New rings?

The City of Paris, owner of the Eiffel Tower, and the IOC, owner of the Olympic logo, have said they are working on building new, lighter, permanent rings, while the old ones will be melted down.

While waiting for the new ones to be installed, smaller rings have been hung on the Pont d’Iéna, just opposite, to "create continuity", according to the town hall.

Strong criticism

The socialist mayor's plan to keep the rings on the Eiffel Tower until 2028 has sparked strong criticism from heritage advocates and descendants of Gustave Eiffel.

The latter believe that keeping them would undermine the work of their ancestor erected 135 years ago, which in their eyes is not intended to display a "advertising sign", the rings being a trademark.