2024 Olympic Games in Paris – The Genius and the Discus Throw

A depiction of the "Genius" — a stylised figure and iconic motif of French numismatics — shown throwing the discus, inspired by the ancient Olympic Games. The silhouette merges with that of the Arc de Triomphe, a defining landmark of Parisian heritage, forming a shared axis with this emblematic monument to victory. An athletics track fills the background, into which the logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is inserted on the right. The year "2022", the monogram "RF", and the mint marks are visible to either side of the arch.

The Arc de Triomphe stands at the heart of Paris's urban fabric like almost no other monument: Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned it in 1806 following the victory at Austerlitz, though it was not completed until 1836 under King Louis-Philippe. At nearly 50 metres high and around 45 metres wide, it is one of the largest triumphal arches in the world. Twelve Haussmann boulevards converge in a star pattern at the Place de l'Étoile, making the arch the geometric centre of western Paris. Beneath it lies the tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the First World War, established in 1921 — one of France's most visited memorial sites.

The ancient Olympic Games, to which the motif of this French issue refers, took place in Olympia in the Peloponnese between the 8th century BC and the 4th century AD. The discus throw was part of the pentathlon and was seen as the embodiment of physical perfection — represented in Greek sculpture by Myron's Discobolus from the 5th century BC. France took part in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 and has been represented at every Summer Olympics since. With the 2024 Summer Olympics, the Games returned to the French capital after 100 years — last held there in 1924, also in Paris. France issued this 2-euro commemorative coin in 2022 as the first of four issues in preparation for the event.