OLYMPIC GAMES
What is Phryge, the Paris Olympics 2024 mascot? Meaning, designer and how to pronounce
Given that the 2024 Games take place in France, questions have arisen about the mascot, its origin, and how to say it properly.
The 2024 Paris Olympics mascot was unveiled at the end of 2022 and, as you would expect, everything about it is rather French. “La Phryge Olympique” is quite simply the red bonnet famously worn by Marianne, the artistic personification of the free French republic.
The meaning behind Phryge
Present in art, in town halls and on stamps, the Phrygian caps were worn as a symbol of liberty during the French and the American Revolutions, and are known all over the world.
Not only does the mascot represent freedom, striving, and the spirit of the French, but it also sends a powerful message: that all athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics are the same thing: athletes – despite differing appearances and events.
The Paralympic mascot “La Phryge Paralympique” is no different to the Olympic one, except that one of the legs is a runner’s blade. The designer of the cute character Phryge was Joachim Roncin, a Paris-born graphic designer.
How is ‘Phryge’ pronounced?
The official IOC website explains that the mascot’s name is to be pronounced “fri-jee-uhs”. As our very own Jeffrey May put it, it’s like saying “fridge”, the shortened version of refrigerator, with a long E and an “uh”.
“Phry-gi-a” - go on, give it a try.
Julie Matikhine, brand manager of the Paris 2024 Games, says, “[Phyrges] is a mascot who embodies the French spirit. An ideal that carries the values of our country, a part of our history and a singular point of view on the world.” What screams ‘French’ more than that?