Aug. 11 (UPI) — Paris 2024‘s vivid closing ceremony started Sunday with French swimmer Leon Marchand taking the flame on its last trek, featured more than 270 performers and ended with Tom Cruise carrying the Olympic flag away on a motorcycle.
“We wanted strong images,” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said on the NBC broadcast. “Our competition venues will go down in the history of the Games.
“We wanted excitement, we got passion. We wanted to be inspired, we got Leon Marchand.”
A sunset painted the Versailles as the Olympic cauldron was doused and representatives from more than 200 nations met for the Closing Ceremony, signaling the end of Paris 2024 in Saint-Denis, France.
Zaho de Sagazan and a choir performed “Sous le ciel de Paris” — “Under Paris Skies” — to open festivities. Marchand, who won a Paris-best four gold medals, carried the flame from the Jardin des Tuileries to the 80,000-seat Stade de France.
Swimming sensation Katie Ledecky and rower Nick Mead walked into the stadium holding the American flag, while instruments played and voices bounced through the crowd, which was a confetti of country-colored garb from around the world.
Acrobats flipped and dangled through the air, a piano player performed while swinging from the roof and an opera singer belted out “Hymn to Apollo” as part of a theatric storytelling experience, while pyrotechnics and a light show illuminated the area.
H.E.R., indie band Phoenix and Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig were among the other performers in Saint-Denis. Snoop Dogg, Billie Eilish, Dr. Dre and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed from California later in the broadcast, after the ceremonial handoff for next edition of the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Acrobats, dancers and circus artists performed throughout the Closing Ceremony. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director, was tasked with running the show, titled “Records,” which featured dramatic storytelling of Olympics history.
Marchand carried the lantern, which contained the Olympic flame, onto the Stade de France stage to conclude the event. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach then called on designated athletes to blow out the flame, officially ending Paris 2024.
“You embraced each other,” Bach told the crowd. “You respected each other. Even if your countries are divided by war and conflict, you created a culture of peace.
“This inspired all of us and billions of people across the globe. Thank you for making us dream. Thank you for making us believe in a better world for everyone.”
Best of Paris 2024
The 2024 Summer Olympics were marked by unprecedented U.S. dominance, breakout teen stars, new sports, several controversies and even surprise marriage proposals.
Once again, Team USA led the medal count with 126 — 35 more than second-place China. Great Britain earned the third-most medals (65).
China tied the United States with an Olympics-best 40 gold medals, marking the first time two countries tied for that honor.
Team USA earned the most medals for the eighth-consecutive Summer Olympics. More than 250 American athletes received medals from Paris 2024.
Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei’s six medals were the most among all Olympians.
The U.S. women’s basketball team claimed the final gold medal of Paris 2024, beating beat host France by just one point Sunday to earn its eighth-consecutive gold and become the most dominant basketball team in Olympics history.
The U.S. men’s basketball team won a fifth-consecutive gold medal Saturday with another win over the host country.
Dancer Victor “B-Boy Victor” Montalvo earned the first American medal in breaking, winning the bronze medal battle in the sport’s Olympic debut.
The United States Women’s National Team won gold in soccer, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler became the second-consecutive American to win a golf gold medal.
As expected, Ledecky, Simone Biles, Noah Lyles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Sha’Carri Richardson were among the American stars in Paris, but swimmers Torri Huske and Regan Smith earned the most medals (five) for Team USA.
Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, cyclist Kristen Faulkner, runner Cole Hocker and sport climber Sam Watson were among the other breakout stars for Team USA.
Ledecky authored arguably the most significant chapter of the Summer Games, winning four medals in Paris.
With 14 career medals, she now is the most decorated American woman in Olympics history. Her nine gold medals are tied for the most ever for a woman and second-most in Olympics history.
Biles, who also won four medals in Paris, pushed her career total to 11 to become the most-decorated American gymnast in Olympics history. Her seven golds are tied for the second most for a female gymnast.
Biles, who was a main storyline at Tokyo 2020 when she withdrew from competition, earned three gold medals and a silver medal. The second-place finish came in the floor exercise final, which proved to be one of the most controversial events of the Olympics.
Controversies
Team USA was officially stripped of a bronze medal days after the gymnastics competition, with Jordan Chiles demoted from third to fifth place on Saturday after a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Viewers flocked to social media after the event Monday in Paris after Rebeca Andrade of Brazil earned gold and Biles claimed silver.
Dramatic scenes proceeded to unfold in Bercy Arena after Romanian Ana Borbosu was initially listed as the bronze medal winner. But an American appeal and score adjustment resulted in Chiles being promoted to third, replacing Borbosu.
Chiles went on to take a photo with Biles, with the Americans kneeling in deference to Andrade on the podium. The photo became one of the viral scenes from the Games.
Chiles has been asked to return her medal, but the situation remains fluid. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee plans to appeal the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif also was a popular talking point throughout the games. Khelif, who was subjected to scrutiny related to her gender, won gold. She has since filed a complaint through her lawyer, asking Paris prosecutors to investigate online harassment she faced.
The controversy was triggered by a prior decision from the International Boxing Association to disqualify Khelif from last year’s world championships after she allegedly failed an eligibility test for women’s competition.
False claims surfaced on social media, with users saying Khelif was a man or transgender, leading the International Olympic Committee to defend her eligibility. The IOC said competitor ages and gender are based on their passports.
Another controversy swirled around the status of the Seine River, which winds through Paris. Officials regularly monitored the water quality, resulting in a shifting schedule for events in the river.
Eventually, events proceeded, but several athletes, later fell ill after competing in the uncertain waters, which often contained high levels of dangerous bacteria.
The finish of the men’s 100-meter final in track resulted in more debate among Olympics fans, with Jamaican Kishane Thompson appearing as the initial winner.
Officials then went to get photographic evidence of the finish, which showed American Noah Lyles learning his upper body over the finish line before the Jamaican, giving him the title of the “World’s Fastest Man.”
With the win, Lyles became the first U.S. 100-meter champion in 20 years.
But Lyles’ much-discussed larger goal — to become the 10th man in history to achieve the sprinting double (wins in the 100 meters and 200 meters) — was later denied.
He finished third in the latter race before nearly collapsing of exhaustion. Lyles later revealed that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 before the event, which Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won. American Kenny Bedarek placed second.
Several of the American stars, including Ledecky and Biles, have left the door open for future participation in the Summer Games, which are headed to the United States.
What’s next?
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo passed the Olympic flag off to Bach, who handed it to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as part of the ceremony. Bass later handed the flag to Biles.
Cruise then jumped off the roof of the Stade de France, while connected to a cable. He took the flag from Biles before riding off on a motorcycle, signifying the handoff for Los Angeles 2028.
The next edition of the Summer Olympics will be held July 14-30, 2028.
