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Olympic rings to be displayed on Eiffel Tower for Paris Games

PARIS -- The Olympic rings will be displayed on the Eiffel Tower, organizers said in a statement Tuesday, as the French capital prepares to mark 100 days until the start of the Paris Games.

A 95-foot-long and 49-foot-high structure of five Olympic rings, made entirely of recycled French steel, will be displayed on the south side of the 135-year-old historic landmark in central Paris, overlooking the Seine River.

About 10,500 athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 3.7-mile route in the opening ceremony at sunset on July 26.

The Eiffel Tower will feature prominently in the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games and the following Paralympics. The Olympic and Paralympic medals in Paris are being embedded with pieces from a hexagonal chunk of iron taken from the monument.

The hugely popular 1,083-foot landmark in central Paris has seen soaring visitor numbers in the lead-up to the 2024 Games.

Work on the Eiffel Tower to install the rings is set to begin at the end of the month, the organizers said.