The Phryges: What are they and why are they at the Paris 2024 Olympics?

Some Olympic mascots are apparent in what they’re representing.

Take Sam the eagle from the 1984 games held in Los Angeles, or the bear from the 1980 games held in Moscow.

Others, however, may make fans of the game scratch their heads wondering where they came up with the design.

For instance, Izzy from the 1996 games held in Atlanta. Or whatever Wenlock was supposed to be for the 2012 London games.

The mascots revealed nearly two years ago for the Paris Olympics fall into the latter category.

Olympic organizers announced the mascots are called The Phryges, pronounced free-jes or freeze with a “j” sound, and they are red caps that represent freedom in France, NBC Sports reported.

A Phrygian cap was worn by freed enslaved people in Phrygia, an ancient Greek kingdom in present-day Turkey, and became a symbol of the French Revolution, The New York Times reported.

“Rather than an animal, our mascots represent an ideal,” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said, according to NBC Sports. “Since it is familiar to us and appears on our stamps and the pediments of our town halls, it also represents French identity and spirit.”

According to the Facebook post that introduced them, The Phryges “are sporty, love to party... and are so French.”

The mascots will be used for both the Olympic games and the Paralympic Games and one of the two caps has a carbon-fiber prosthetic leg to honor the athletes it will represent, the Times reported.

The Olympics will be held in Paris starting through Aug. 11. The Paralympics begin on Aug. 28 and run through Sept. 8, Reuters reported.

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