Paris gave the Olympics a triumphant au revoir on Sunday as the curtain fell on the widely praised staging of the global sporting spectacle. A dazzling closing ceremony that culminated with Hollywood star Tom Cruise rappelling off the roof of the Stade de France in front of 71,500 spectators was the crowning achievement of what was widely hailed as one of the greatest Olympics ever held. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the Paris Games were “the best in sport”. “It was a sensational Olympic Games from start to finish,” said Bach. “Or dare I say: Senational Games”, joked the IOC chief in a pun about the river that runs through Paris and was the site of the opening ceremony. “Dear French friends, you have fallen in love with the Olympic Games. And we fell in love with all of you,” Bach added.
Around 9,000 athletes flooded the stadium to be entertained by 270 artists and performers in a ceremony considered a celebration of humanity and the unifying power of sport.
“We knew you would be brilliant, but you were magic,” Paris 2024 chief organizer Tony Estanguet told the athletes. “You made us happy; you made us feel alive – the world needed this moment so much.”
French swimming hero Leon Marchand – winner of four gold medals at these Games – kicked off the festivities, collecting the Olympic flame from the cauldron in the Tuileries Gardens to begin his journey to the Stade de France.
French rugby hero Antoine Dupont – who led the host country to a rugby sevens gold medal in one of the Games’ early highlights – carried a tricolor flag into the stadium as celebrating athletes invaded the pitch.
The closing spectacle marked the beginning of the four-year countdown to the Los Angeles Olympics, and American gymnastics icon Simone Biles joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as the Olympic flag was formally handed over to the Californian city.
A preview of what the world can expect when the Olympics come to Tinseltown in 2028 then saw “Mission: Impossible” star Cruise rappel into the stadium before picking up the Olympic flag and setting off on a motorcycle to the delight of athletes and fans.
A pre-filmed segment showed Cruise roaming the Parisian streets before boarding a plane and parachuting into Los Angeles and adorning Los Angeles’ iconic Hollywood sign with the Olympic rings.
Los Angeles band Red Hot Chili Peppers and singer Billie Eilish held a mini-concert on a beach.
The ceremony followed 17 days of breathtaking sporting action, set against a backdrop of iconic Parisian landmarks, from the Eiffel Tower to Versailles Castle.
In contrast to the rainy opening ceremony on the River Seine, Sunday’s festivities began with a golden sunset bathing the French capital.
Meanwhile, the final day of sporting action saw the United States overtake China for first place in the medal battle after the US women’s basketball team defeated France 67-66 to claim the final gold of the Games.
The victory – the eighth consecutive women’s basketball Olympic title won by the USA – ensured that the Americans finished tied with China on 40 gold medals each.
The USA, however, finished top of the overall medal table with a total of 126 medals, with China in second place with 91.
Sunday began with a thrilling women’s marathon victory by Dutch long-distance running star Sifan Hassan.
Hassan took what many considered a crazy gamble in Paris, competing in the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon.
But in a jaw-dropping sprint, Hassan edged Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia to take gold by three seconds in an Olympic record 2h 22min 55sec.
She fell onto the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris, before clutching a Dutch flag to celebrate an extraordinary achievement.
Hassan received his gold medal at the closing ceremony on Sunday.
Wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball and track cycling were the other sports that crowned Olympic champions on the last day.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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