Truxal Library Exhibit: Paris Olympics 2024

The world's oldest sports, the first known Olympiad was held in 776 B.C.E. in Olympia, Greece. It is believed the festivals began before 1400 B.C.E. The modern games, which until recently were held roughly every four years in different countries, were revived in 1896 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France. (Credo Reference)

2024 Paris Olympics Medal Count

Paris 2024: The Mascot

Olympic Phryge (a symbol of freedom)

The name of the Paris 2024 mascot is Olympic Phryge, based on the traditional small Phrygian hats that the mascots are shaped after. The name and design were chosen as symbols of freedom and to represent allegorical figures of the French republic.

Description

The Olympic Phryge takes the shape and form of a Phrygian cap. As Paris 2024’s vision is to demonstrate that sport can change lives, the mascots will be playing a major role by leading a revolution through sport. The Olympic Phryge is decked out in blue, white and red - the colours of France’s famed tricolor flag - with the golden Paris 2024 logo emblazoned across its chest.

Creator

Paris 2024 Design team

Did you know?

The Phrygian caps the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic mascots are based on have been a symbol of freedom throughout French history. They are a common reference for French people, including in the world of art (as a metaphor for freedom) and as a symbol of the Republic in French institutions. Phrygian caps can be seen sat atop the head of the iconic figure Marianne in every town hall and even feature on everyday objects in France such as coins and stamps. They are also an international symbol of liberty worn by freed slaves in Roman times and appearing on different emblems in North and South America. Also known as the liberty cap, the Phrygian cap has become one of the symbols of the French Republic.

The motto of the Olympic Phryge and Paralympic Phryge is: “Alone we go faster, but together we go further,” representing the ways in which the mascots, and the people of the world, can make each other better by working side-by-side.

Sources from olympics.com

New Sport: Breaking Debuts at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Breaking is ready for its moment in the limelight. The sport debuts on the Olympic schedule at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Breaking, a style of dance that originated in the Bronx in the 1970s, has evolved into a competitive sport, with international competitions that first took place in the 1990s. Breaking appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and has been chosen for Paris 2024 as a new sport, joining sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing.

16 men and 16 women (called "B-Boys" and "B-Girls") will compete, with a round robin followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and medal battles. Each battle features a best-of-three one-on-one contest of approximately one minute. When one breaker finishes their round, their opponent instantly begins their routine in a battle format.

A panel of nine judges score the b-boys and b-girls on on six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity and musicality. Performativity and creativity hold the most weight (60%), and the other categories account for the other 40%.

Why is French Spoken During Medal Announcements at the Olympic Games?

The truth is that while the ancient Olympics originated in Greece, its modern incarnation is very much a French affair. The Games were revived in the 1890s by a French nobleman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who now holds a questionable legacy. As Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympics, 100 years since it last held them, here’s why so much about the modern Olympics is fundamentally French.--AP News.com

Local Athletes from Maryland Qualifed for the 2024 Olympics

• Aaron Brooks (24), wrestling (Hagerstown)
• Trevon Jenifer (35), wheelchair basketball (Huntingtown)
• Katie Ledecky (27), swimming (Bethesda)
• Helen Maroulis (32), wrestling (Rockville)
• Tatyana McFadden (35), para track and field (Baltimore)
• Tatiana Nazlymov (19), fencing (Bethesda)
• Daniel Romanchuk (25), para track and field (Mount Airy)
• Aaron Russell (31), volleyball (Ellicott City)
• Kyle Snyder (28), wrestling (Silver Spring)