The Olympic rings adorning the Eiffel Tower for the Games will become a permanent fixture of France’s most famous monument, the mayor of Paris announced.
Anne Hidalgo said Paris had fallen in love with the Olympics and “I want the two to remain married”.
She announced the current rings will first be taken down as they are deemed too heavy, and will be replaced with lighter versions.
The city must also come up with a way to conceal the rings when the Eiffel Tower pays special tribute to causes that are not in line with the Olympic Committee’s strict policy on neutrality.
Referring to how “the French fell in love with Paris again” with the success of the Games, Ms Hidalgo said: “Paris will never be the same again.”
Parisians cautious about the idea
Early reaction suggested Parisians were cautious about the idea. Some expressed concern that the rings will weaken the structural integrity of the tower, while others joked that keeping the rings is akin to keeping Christmas decorations up year-round.
“So I loved the Games in Paris, but the rings shouldn’t stay on the Eiffel Tower. Firstly, because the Olympics don’t belong to Paris and secondly, the Eiffel Tower has its own aesthetic,” added an independent journalist working with the city of Nanterre north of Paris.