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Why do athletes ring the bell after winning a medal at Paris Olympics 2024? Explaining the significance behind the newly introduced practice
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the large bell that has been set up at the Stade de France for track and field gold winners to ring, is part of the refurbishment of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. From 100m winner Noah Lyles to shot put champion Ryan Crouser, all the winners have rung the bell with 'Paris 2024' engraved on it.
On April 15, 2019, the Notre-Dame Cathedral faced a structural fire breakout on its roof, leading to the collapse of the wooden spire, damage of the upper walls, and destruction of the wooden roof. Several art works were moved to a safer place and others suffered smoke damage. Cut to 2024, amid the refurbishment of the monument, a bell, cast in the same forge as the Notre-Dame bells, has been set up at the State de France.
As Paris Olympics winners are celebrating their victories, they are also ringing the bell as part of a new Olympic tradition. After the Paris Olympics, the bell will be suspended in one of the Cathedral's bell towers. The idea behind it is that the sound of Olympic victory will reverberate for years and decades.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral graces ten large bells weighing between two and three tons and a couple of smaller bells, which were destroyed during the fire. The Paris Olympics bell will join the smaller bells after the repair of the monument.
The Paris Olympics bell idea came from the need of a unique element at the event
The 2024 Paris Olympics' head of sports presentation, Leslie Dufaux, shed light on the establishment of the bell, the idea of which stemmed from Paris' significant church scene. After a conversation with the foundry in Normandy, she was sure of the bell.
"Then I thought: ‘Oh my goodness, they are doing the bells on Notre-Dame, and what are we going to do with this bell after the Olympics and Paralympics? Because we are thinking about the second life of each item we are producing for the Games," she said. (via USA Today)
A manager at Stade de France, Pierre-André Lacout said:
"In a way, Paris 2024 is helping to rebuild Notre-Dame. A part of the Games and the Olympic spirit will remain in Notre-Dame for life." (via NBC)
The bells have been rung only twice since the fire broke out on 2019. The first was heard on the former French President Jacques Chirac's funeral, and the second on the fire's first anniversary in April 2020.
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