Podiums from the past: The history of the three steps every athlete dreams about
As Tokyo 2020 prepares to unveil the victory ceremony podiums to be used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it's time to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the colourful designs from recent years...
On Thursday 3 June, Tokyo 2020 will unveil the victory ceremony podiums that will be used at this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games. As athletes from all over the world dream about taking the top spot in 2021, how many podiums can you remember from the past?
Rio 2016: An eco-friendly tribute to harmonic diversity
Created in line with the ecological theme of the Games, the podiums for Rio 2016 were produced with reforestation wood and decorated with native coastal plants. The podiums also needed to be light enough to be easily carried and assembled, but also strong enough to support up to 18 athletes on each stand. The blue, green, yellow and orange colours that feature on the podium are symbolic of the Games' visual identity, inspired by Brazil’s harmonic diversity.
London 2012: Purple podiums that embodied the energy of the athletes
For the first time in history, the same podium design was used for both Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The design of the London 2012 podiums came from the collective minds of art students from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. Students used that year's Olympic logo as their main inspiration and drew lines out of the angular emblem to make a 3D representation that can be seen from different angles. To fit the design of all venues, the podiums were purple in colour, embodying the energy of the athletes competing at the Games.
Beijing 2008: Traditional lucky clouds brings blessings and harmony
Similar to the Olympic torch, the podium at Beijing 2008 bore a strong Chinese identity with the 'Lucky Cloud' design used as the core graphical element. In Chinese mythology, lucky clouds represent blessings and harmony and they are often depicted with deities perched on top. The podiums were rendered in square format and displayed a typical Chinese ribbon design which symbolised how the Games connect the whole world through sports.
Athens 2004: The rich culture of Ancient and modern Greece
During the ancient Olympic Games one of the greatest honours for an athlete was to win the Olympic crown – a wreath of olive leaves from a sacred tree near the Temple of Zeus. At Athens 2004, standing upon the podium, which featured elements of the 'Panorama' look of the Games design, athletes who won medals were crowned with olive wreaths.
The Panorama design showed the vibrant colours, language and culture of Greece: from the waves of the sea to the hues of the olive groves.
Sydney 2000: Gold, silver and bronze with an Olympic theme
Australian theatre, opera and film designer Brian Thomson was given the task of developing the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 victory podiums. Made from fibreglass, he comprised three different cylindrical podiums that were interconnected and coloured in gold, silver and bronze to reflect the colours of the medals.
The gold-painted podium facade had the five Olympic rings as its centerpiece with the words 'Sydney 2000' embellished on it.
Atlanta 1996: Ancient laurel leaves and a 'quilt of nations'
During the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympics, laurel leaves were used as the main design element of the Atlanta 1996 podiums, symbolising victory and reflecting the ancient tradition of awarding laurel wreaths to winning athletes.
The design also paid homage to the 'quilt of nations' – the 197 nations that participated in the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games – the largest number of countries (as of 2019) to be represented at the Games.