PARIS — (AP) — Paris Olympic organizers on Friday unveiled the Eiffel Tower's five-ring display in the French capital, 50 days before the start of the Summer Games.
Made from recycled French steel, the ring structure will be displayed on the south side of the 135-year-old landmark in central Paris, overlooking the Seine River. Each ring is 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter.
The opening ceremony, which will take place at sunset on July 26, will see thousands of athletes parade in boats on the Seine along a six-kilometre (three-mile) route through the heart of the French capital.
The Paris Olympics has many iconic venues.
Nicknamed “La Dame de Fer” (Iron Lady), the tower will be a prominent feature at the Paris Games, which run from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympics that will follow.
Men's and women's volleyball players will compete at the base of the 330-meter (1,083-foot) monument, with about 13,000 fans attending the event at the Eiffel Tower's temporary stadium, near the Champ de Mars, where Parisians and tourists picnic on the grass and watch the July 14 fireworks display.
The medals for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games feature hexagonal pieces of iron taken from the Tower.
This hugely popular landmark in central Paris is experiencing a surge in visitor numbers in the run up to the 2024 Olympics.
Two huge cranes were used on Friday night to lift the 30-tonne structure and place it between the tower's first and second floors.
The Olympic rings will be lit up with 100,000 LED bulbs every night during the Paralympics, which begin on August 28, 17 days after the Olympics closing ceremony.
The Paralympics will see 4,400 athletes from 180 countries take part in 549 sports and 22 events, many of which will take place near landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles and the Grand Palais.
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