Paris 2024 Ends with Spectacular Finale, Olympic Flag Handed to Los Angeles
5 min read
As the Summer Games in Paris came to an end on Sunday, millions of spectators witnessed performances by Californian music superstars Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Snoop Dogg. The torch was then given to Los Angeles and Hollywood’s glamour. The Olympic flame was extinguished by IOC President Thomas Bach, accompanied by athletes and French swimmer Leon Marchand, who formally declared the 33rd Summer Games ended.
The Olympic torch was carried to the stadium on the outskirts of Paris by French swimming superstar Leon Marchand, who started the closing ceremony by bringing it in a lantern from the gardens that overlooked the Louvre. A little while later, French rugby player Antoine Dupont led flagbearers from all 205 Olympic delegations as they paraded into the stadium. Following to thunderous acclaim and a spirited music, thousands of athletes made their entrance.
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Unlike the Tokyo Games of 2021, which were postponed due to the COVID-19 epidemic and lacked attendance, the mood at the Paris venue was one of unrestrained joy. The competitors and more than 70,000 fans sang Queen’s anthem “We Are the Champions.” While U.S. team members excitedly bounced up and down in their Ralph Lauren jackets, French players crowd-surfed.
Greece’s national anthem was played after the women’s marathon medal ceremony, as is customary to commemorate the nation that staged the first modern Olympics in 1896. The stadium was then filled by almost 280 artists, depicting all seven continents on a globe.
India’s FlagBearer
Athletes had a chance to celebrate the end of two weeks of intense training and hard work at the Parade of Nations. Alongside renowned shooter Manu Bhaker, hockey icon PR Sreejesh carried the Indian team’s banner during the Olympic Games’ closing ceremony. Chief of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), PT Usha, disclosed that javelin virtuoso Neeraj Chopra likewise conveyed his wish to see the departing Sreejesh in this esteemed position. Neeraj Chopra, who won the first and only silver medal for India in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, agreed with the decision.
Thomas Batch Inspiring Words
Amidst the proceedings, French President Emmanuel Macron and President Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee discussed how the Games may “create a cultural peace that inspires the world,” emphasizing how athletes respected one another in spite of their nations’ political divisions. A golden-shrouded figure plummeted from the sky into a realm of whirling stars and smoke, creating a dramatic moment throughout the ceremony. Tens of thousands of lights shimmered like fireflies around the five interwoven Olympic rings that gleamed white in the arena, honoring the Greek flag, which symbolizes the origin of the ancient Games.
"The #OlympicGames #Paris2024 were a celebration of the athletes and sport at its best."
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) August 11, 2024
Read the full speech of IOC President Thomas Bach, during the Closing Ceremony: https://t.co/h54nkXDTFa pic.twitter.com/MbjzHsTun3
Bach remarked, “The Olympic Games Paris 2024 were a celebration of athletes and sport at its finest,” during his remarks during the closing ceremony. These were the first Olympic Games that perfectly complemented the changes we implemented for the Olympic Agenda: they were more youthful, urban, inclusive, and sustainable. In addition, it was the first Games to include complete gender parity. From the beginning to the end, these Olympic Games were extraordinary dare I even say, “Seine-sational”? A new era was ushered in by the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.”
The stage gets fired by Pheonix
A series of traditional dance and music performances were arranged around the “Records” theme by French theatrical director and performer Thomas Jolly. The two and a half-hour performance began with a theatrical segment called “Records,” which promised an engrossing, surreal trip through time guided by a “Golden Voyager.”
🎸 Paris is rising for Phoenix, and floating on Air! Wait, is that an Angèle we see?🎶
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 11, 2024
The crowd loves it. This is the Stade de Dance! 🪩#Paris2024 #ClosingCeremony pic.twitter.com/Q8z8MosZfH
The crowd was entertained by performers performing underneath the Olympic rings, which represent the Olympic movement, which were exhibited in the air above the stadium. Top tunes from Belgian singer-songwriter Angèle and French band Phoenix thrilled the crowd. Following formal goodbye statements by 2024 Paris Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, a pre-recorded film recounted the Olympic Torch’s journey as it arrived at the stadium.
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Golden Voyager
The “Golden Voyager,” which was shown in the center of the Stade de France’s Closing Ceremony on Sunday, was a creative portrayal of a pre-Olympic era. The Golden Voyager has a great deal of historical significance, even if the artist who plays her is still unidentified.
A Golden Voyager lands in a world that is deserted and mysterious, ready to explore. 👀#Paris2024 #ClosingCeremony pic.twitter.com/Gr6Z4u7iyb
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 11, 2024
The Spirit of the Bastille is the first of several aspects of French cultural legacy from which the character’s designers claim inspiration. It also alludes to Auguste Dumont’s 1836 bronze monument, “The Génie de la Liberté” (Spirit of Liberty). This symbolic statue, representing Liberty, is perched atop the July Column in the heart of Paris’s Place de la Bastille.
Passing the Flag to Flag
The Olympic Flag was passed over to mark the end of the ceremony. Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles received the flag from Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris, which will host the 34th Summer Games in 2028. Hollywood star Tom Cruise unexpectedly showed up and stole the Olympic Flag from Karen Bass, bringing it to Los Angeles in preparation for the Games.
“As the Olympic flag moves from Paris to LA, this is the biggest moment in LA28 history to date,” said President and Chair Casey Wasserman in a statement. Up to the very last event, China and the United States fought it out for the top place in the medal table throughout the two weeks of intense sports action.
