Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes are being honoured on an official UK 50p ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games – and table tennis star Will Bayley helped to launch the design at The Royal Mint.

The collectable coin has been designed to inspire the nation, featuring an Olympic and Paralympic athlete side by side against a backdrop of the Union Flag.

In a special nod to the location of the Paris 2024 Games, a silhouette of the iconic Eiffel Tower can be seen at the base of the coin.

To celebrate the release, The Royal Mint invited 2016 Paralympic champion Bayley, fellow Paralympian Funmi Oduwaiye and Team GB athletes Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Ruby Evans to strike some of the very first coins.

Each Team GB and ParalympicsGB athlete will also receive their own coin in their kit bags before they make their way to Paris before their respective Games.

Bayley said: “I’m a proud Paralympic athlete, so to have us as a team represented on a coin makes me feel special. It was a real privilege to be able to strike my very own coin and will be something that I remember for many years to come.”

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said, “The Olympic and Paralympic Games are the pinnacle of sporting events, highlighting the incredible talent of athletes across the world. We hope the coin serves as a special good luck token and everyone at The Royal Mint will be cheering on our Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes!”

The collectable 50p coin celebrating Team GB and ParalympicsGB is available to purchase from The Royal Mint’s website.