The Paris 2024 Olympic (right) and Paralympic (left) Games mascots – Les Phryges.

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic mascots have been revealed as two Phrygian caps decked out in France’s national colours. The two characters, who are to be known as the Olympic and Paralympic Phryges, have the golden Paris 2024 logo across their chests, and are described as having “mischievous and expressive eyes”. The Paralympic mascot has a running blade, making it the first time that a mascot for the Games has itself had a visible disability.

At the ceremony to unveil the mascots in Saint-Denis on Monday, the Paris 2024 president, Tony Estanguet, said: “We chose an ideal rather than an animal. We chose the Phrygian cap because it’s a very strong symbol for the French Republic. For French people, it’s a very well-known object that is a symbol of freedom. The fact that the Paralympics mascot has a visible disability also sends a strong message: to promote inclusion.”

The two mascots share a motto of “Alone we go faster, but together we go further”, and the Olympic Phryge is described as “a tactician with a calculating brain”, while the Paralympic Phryge is “spontaneous and full of energy and enthusiasm”.

The official IOC website helpfully explains that their name is to be pronounced “fri-jee-uhs”.