PARIS, France — The Paris Olympics are off to a competitive start with plenty of medals awarded in just the first few days.
As the first gold, silver and bronze finishers of the Summer Games stood atop the podium, many spectators spotted the athletes receiving something in addition to their medals: a long box.
Some athletes even posed with it in their post-medal ceremony photos.
So, what's in the box?
According to the Olympics, each medalist receives an official Paris Olympics poster with their medal. The poster, designed by French artist Ugo Gattoni, features an intricate color illustration of the Games with representations of each sport.
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Fans who are not medal winners but want a commemorative poster for themselves can pick one up for a very reasonable price via the online Olympics shop.
The top-placing athletes also get a little extra gift behind the scenes after the medal ceremony is over. Each medalist receives a small, stuffed gold, silver or bronze medal-winning mascot, with the emblem of the medal they won sewn onto the mascot's belly.
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic mascots are smiling, red Phrygian caps, dubbed by the Paris Olympics as "Les Phryges."
Paralympic medalists will receive the medaled mascot during their medal ceremony, and the Paralympic Games official poster at a later date.
The gifts are presented to athletes by Paris Olympics volunteers.
