How 18 g of Eiffel Tower are found in each medal?
There Eiffel Tower, an indisputable icon of France and jewel of the national heritage, has never ceased to surprise us. Millions of visitors climb it every year to admire the panoramic view of Paris. But what many do not know is that part of this iron lady is also found in the most coveted object of athletes around the world: the medal. How is this possible? Answer in this article.
A nod to French culture
From the first hold, the weight of a medal is perceptible. These few grams which oscillate between pride and recognition are more than a simple reward. They symbolize hours of training, sacrifices and unwavering determination to reach the top.
Quite surprisingly, each medal contains exactly 18g of the Eiffel Tower. It is a deliberate choice on the part of those who are in charge of making these precious trophies. Why 18g? The Eiffel Tower, built in 1889, is made of 7,300 tonnes of wrought iron, or approximately 7300000000 g. Each medal weighs approximately 500g, so if we consider that all medals produced for a major sporting competition use this iron, this would represent a tiny part of the total weight of the Tower, in a symbolic nod to French culture.
A unique manufacturing process
Making medals requires a long and delicate process.
Incorporating these 18 g of metal from the Iron Lady requires special know-how.
Originally, the iron of the Eiffel Tower is recovered during maintenance work, melted in large quantities of other metals to then extract the famous medals.
The manufacture of these medals is meticulous work that requires exceptional precision. The 18 g of Eiffel Tower are fused with other metals to form a one-of-a-kind alloy. The mixture is then poured in several copies into a mold provided for this purpose. Each medal is then carefully polished before being engraved with the name of the sporting event concerned.
In conclusion, the 18 g of the Eiffel Tower result from a desire to promote French cultural heritage through these global competitions. It is a way of reminding the whole world that behind every sporting achievement, there is not only an exceptional athlete, but also a history and a culture that deserves to be celebrated.
