After the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Eiffel Tower will retain its Olympic rings, announced the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, on Saturday, August 31.

The Olympic rings, installed on the Eiffel Tower before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024, will not be removed after the event. Anne Hidalgo confirmed this decision during an interview with the newspaper Ouest France. She specified that, as the mayor of Paris, she had the authority to make this decision and that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had given its approval.

However, new rings, "just as large but lighter," will replace the current ones, as the latter are "too heavy" to remain on the Eiffel Tower permanently.

Anne Hidalgo also expressed her desire to install the statues of the ten French women, who were presented during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, along the Rue de la Chapelle in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. This symbolic location, which leads to Saint-Denis and the Basilica of the Kings of France, would represent a strong symbol. She mentioned that Tony Estanguet, president of the Games Organizing Committee, shared her enthusiasm for this idea.

Regarding the Olympic cauldron, Anne Hidalgo reiterated her desire to see it maintained at the Tuileries, considering it an "inseparable object from the Paris Games." However, the final decision will rest with the President of the Republic, as the site is state-owned.

On the issue of accessibility in the Paris metro, the mayor of Paris expressed her support for a "complete adaptation" of the network while emphasizing the "extremely significant costs" of such a renovation, which will require additional public funding. She stated that she is willing to contribute to this effort, despite the fact that transportation primarily falls under the jurisdiction of the state and the region, but clarified that she does not have the funds to finance one-third of this massive project.

Finally, a few days after the start of the Paralympic Games, Anne Hidalgo expressed her delight that "the French have fallen back in love with Paris" thanks to this event. She also highlighted the legacy left by the Games, including the possibility of open water swimming in the Seine, expected by the summer of 2025 in the Marie arm at Bercy and the Grenelle arm.