The Paris Olympics bell that all athletes dream of ringing

Few sounds convey as much solemnity as that of a bell. This instrument of antiquity has been used throughout history to transmit information of interest, to warn of an important event, an attack, deaths, or rites. A source of information and emotion, they adorn the tops of town halls, hermitages and churches, especially after being adopted by Christianity in the 5th century. Their carved bronze roars congregate the faithful and send pigeons flying, although at the Paris Games, they have also given more than one athlete wings. The organizers of the Olympic Games have installed one in the glorious Stade de France and it has become a modern icon of greatness. Ringing it is an honor reserved “only for gold medalists,” explained Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, who told the Associated Press the instrument is an opportunity to bring athletes and spectators together.

The bell will also remain in the stadium during the Paralympic Games, before finally being hung from one of the towers of the Notre-Dame cathedral, reconstruction on which ends this December, more than five years after the devastating fire that threatened to completely destroy it. Notre-Dame has 10 church bells, weighing between two and three tons. In addition, it has other sets of smaller bells on the spire, to which the Olympic Games bell will be added. The new element of the Parisian temple was manufactured in Normandy by the Cornille Havard foundry and is engraved with the rings and the Paris 2024 emblem.

For the time being, it adorns the purple track of the Stade de France, which for over 20 years has hosted the country’s most important sporting events following its construction for the 1998 World Cup. “No matter how loud the crowd is, people will hear it,” predicted the great sprinter Carl Lewis, who was handed the task of testing the bell at the beginning of the competition.

Before being coveted by track and field athletes, the rugby teams started the tradition at the beginning of the Games, when the stadium hosted the sevens tournament. The winners of each game were allowed to celebrate by ringing the bell and posing in front of it as an emblem of victory.

However, in the track and field events, only gold medalists are afforded the honor. When the athletics competitions began, one of the first to get his hands on the bell was Noah Lyles after being crowned the fastest man in the world with a 100-meters time of 9.79 seconds. Julien Alfred, who won the first Olympic medal in the history of St. Lucia, a Caribbean island of 181,000 inhabitants, followed suit.

When the Olympic hangover settles over Paris with the normality of September, some areas of the French capital will regain their traditional image. The sports facilities will remain as memories of the day when the eyes of the world fell on France once again. And, a little later, when Notre-Dame will once again function as the quintessential Parisian cathedral, its bell towers will have an extra dose of history. The waves of each chime will carry the Olympic achievements of those who won gold.

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