The Paris Olympic Games came to an end on Monday, August 12 with a star-studded closing ceremony in front of around 71,500 spectators at the Stade de France.
Around 270 artists and performers performed in the packed arena for an estimated 9000 athletes, who marched into the venue as the festivities got into full swing.
Team Hellas’ delegation was led by pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis and artistic swimmer Evangelia Platanioti. Karalis won a bronze medal in the pole vault, while Platanioti, competing in her fourth Olympics, finished sixth.
Australian flag-bearers Kaylee McKeown and Matt Wearn, who both won gold in the French capital, led their teammates into the venue, while canoe slalom champion Jess Fox was inducted as a new member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
The opening segment of the ceremony festivities began with French swimmer Leon Marchand – winner of four gold medals at the Games – gathering the Olympic flame from the cauldron in the centre of Paris to begin its journey to Stade de France.
French rugby hero Antoine Dupont – who led the host nation to a rugby sevens gold medal in one of the early highlights of the Games – carried a tricolored flag into the Stade de France as partying athletes swarmed the field.
The ceremony also brought the Winged Victory of Samothrace in the stadium. The statue is one of few surviving from the ancient Hellenistic period. Representing the Greek goddess Nike (Victory), Winged Victory has been exhibited at the top of the central staircase of the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1884, when it was discovered on the island of Samothrace in the Aegean Sea.
Paris 2024 president Tony Eugene and IOC president Thomas Bach paid tribute to volunteers and spectators.
Following the official Olympic handover to Los Angeles, which will host the next edition of the Games in 2028, American musician H.E.R. performed the national anthem of the United States.
Next up, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise appeared on a flying fox, riding off with the Olympic flag on a motorbike as Red Hot Chili Peppers anthem ‘By The Way’ resonated in the background.
The Chili Peppers performed hit song ‘Can’t Stop’ from Venice Beach before pop sensation Billie Eilish whispered the chorus of ‘Birds of a Feather’.
The Closing Ceremony wrapped up with performance from hip-hop royalty Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
The ceremony follows 17 days of frequently breathtaking sporting action set against the backdrop of iconic Parisian landmarks from the Eiffel Tower to the Chateau de Versailles. Team Hellas won a total eight medals at the Paris Games, including one gold medal, one silver and six bronze.
The closing ceremony has been better received than the Paris Opening Ceremony, which was heavily criticised for mocking the Christian faith.
Source: Fox Sports.
