PARIS - The podiums of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games were unveiled at the headquarters of the games' organizing committee on Thursday.

Like the medals, the design of the podiums also draws its inspiration from the landmark Eiffel Tower with the metal lace structure outlines the exterior surface of the podium.

Featuring a sleek and elegant color scheme of grey and white, the podiums are made of wood and 100% recycled plastic and employ a modular design to accommodate the needs of different events.

For instance, the shortest podium, used for individual events, consists of 3 modules and is approximately 4 meters long. The podium for the football award ceremony uses the most modules, totalling 43, with an overall length of 40 meters.

Each podium weighs approximately 45 kilograms. The Paris Organizing Committee has prepared a total of 685 modules, 45 of which are reserved as backup modules.

"The podium is the ultimate symbol of performance and its celebration. For Olympic and Paralympic athletes, reaching the podium is an achievement. It is the conclusion of a long journey," said Tony Estanguet, the president of the organizing committee.

Gold medalists will stand on a 35cm high podium, while silver and bronze medalists will stand on a 20cm high podium.

The same design will be used for the Paralympics, but the top three athletes will all stand on a 20cm high podium with a sloped ramp on the side for wheelchair accessibility.