PREVIEW

The Paralympic ‘agitos’ symbol has been hoisted on to the Arc de Triomphe ahead of the Olympics and Paralympics in July, August, and early September.
The latest installation, 61 days ahead of the Paralympics three weeks after the Olympic rings were placed on the Eiffel Tower.
For the first time in the history of the Games, the Paralympic agitos are being displayed in a giant format before the start of the Olympic Games.
The agitos, the Paralympic equivalent of the famous Olympic rings, is a visual representation of the global Paralympic movement. Their name comes from Latin and means "I move." Their shape represents athletes from around the world moving together towards a central point, the Paralympic Games. The three colors represent the three most used colors in world flags.
In each edition, the Paralympic agitos are displayed in an iconic location of the host city: On Tower Bridge in London in 2012, the Copacabana Beach in Rio in 2016, Tokyo Bay in 2021.
Until now though, the agitos have only been displayed after the conclusion of the Olympic Games, once the rings were removed. In 2024 though, the agitos has been displayed a month before the opening of the Olympic Games, a historic first.
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 to display them alongside the Olympic rings. From now on, everyone will be able to see them in the heart of the capital, and on August 28th, the Champs-Elysées will become the avenue of the Paralympic Games for an opening ceremony at Place de la Concorde, which promises to be unforgettable.”
The Arc de Triomphe is one of Paris’ most famous sites, as it sits on the famed avenue, the Champs-Elysées. With the agitos’ introduction, the Champs-Elysées becomes the avenue of the Paralympic Games: at the top, the agitos on the Arc de Triomphe; at the bottom, the Place de la Concorde, where the opening ceremony will take place on 28 August.
On 27 and 28 June, teams from ArcelorMittal, official partner of the Paris 2024 Games, carried out a high-precision installation on the monument. The installation required cranes, drones, and rope access technicians. The agitos were made in France from 100% recycled steel. Each agito measures 7 meters high and 3 meters wide, with the entire display measuring 12 meters wide by 9 meters high, installed 44 meters above the ground on the Arc de Triomphe.
Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, added: “Seeing the agitos, the symbol of the Paralympic movement, on one of the world’s most recognizable monuments is a very special moment that truly announces the imminent arrival of the Paralympic Games in Paris.”