Olympics closing ceremony: Paris Games close with a star-studded show
The 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony celebrated the power of diversity and solidarity
Athletes enter the stadium during the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on August 11, 2024. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
Highlighting the marriage of tradition and modernity as one of its underlying themes, Paris 2024, which began unconventionally on the beautiful Seine River, closed the greatest show on earth conventionally with the Stade de France serving as a grand theatre to emphasise the Olympic Games as a human monument.
The Sunday night wowed more than 71,000 spectators in the stands and millions around the world to celebrate humanity as well as the extraordinary athletic endeavours, in the form of nearly 850 medals won and 42 records broken (including 10 world records and 32 Olympic records).
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The ceremony began with a musical performance as an ode to the Games’ host city as the Olympic flame travelled from Louvre to the Stade de France.
Following the entry of French President Emmanuel Macron and International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, the French National flag and the Olympic flag were raised while the National anthem of the host country, the Marseillaise, was sung by the Maîtrise de Fontainebleau and Orchestre Divertimento, under the baton of conductor Zahia Ziouani.
The entry of the flag-bearers and the parade of athletes from 205 delegations were the ultimate celebration of the heroes of Paris 2024. They started the parade on the stage, in the centre of the stadium, that symbolically represented a planisphere. Then the athletes entered the arena together from two entry points to join the parade.
India could not have found a better pair of flag-bearers as double bronze medallist shooter Manu Bhaker, the best Indian athlete here, and double bronze medallist hockey goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, who signed off on a high, proudly performed their duty.
Flagbearers Manu Bhaker and Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran of India during the closing ceremony.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
For the first time, the women’s marathon concluded the Olympic Games and its top three finishers were handed medals in the final victory ceremony to underline Paris 2024’s effort to make it the most equal Games.
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A sequence showing the Marathon Pour Tous, a unique race open to the public and run on Saturday evening on the same course as the one used by the Olympic athletes, exhibited the Games Wide Open.
As ancient Greek civilisation and modern artistic presentation, drawing reference from the Voyager Golden Record of the launch of Voyager spaceship in 1977, mixed, a futuristic extraterrestrial character, after getting to know about humanity, arrived from space to explore earth. In a dreamlike setting beyond space and time, it gave out the message that the Games created by humanity must be kept alive.
French swimmer Leon Marchand carries a lantern containing the Olympic flame in the Tuileries garden on the final day of the 2024 Summer Olympics ahead of the closing ceremony on August 11, 2024, in Paris, France.
| Photo Credit:
AP
The Greek flag and anthem stirred emotions and Goddess Nike, the Goddess of victory associated with the ancient Games, appearing as the statue of Victory of Samothrace displayed in the famous Louvre museum, made it spectacular.
A reference to Sorbonne and Pierre de Coubertin to underscore the revival of the Games, the excavation, dramatic formation and raising of the Olympic rings with a round of fireworks and some captivating music preceded the speeches of Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet and International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach.
“Together, we have shown the world the most beautiful face of France,” said Estanguet. “We have broken a new record that is very close to our hearts: the most marriage proposals (seven) ever at an Olympic Games! These feelings of hope, and love, and inspiration, will remain.”
“These were sensational Olympic Games from start to finish – or dare I say: these were SEINE-sational Olympic Games from start to finish,” said Bach.
After the playing of the Olympic anthem, when Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo handed over the Olympic flag to her Los Angeles counterpart Karen Bass, the Games symbolically moved to Los Angeles 2028 creating an emotional environment.
Actor Tom Cruise jumps from the roof of the Stade de France during the closing ceremony.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Playing of the American National anthem by Grammy award-winning H.E.R., Tom Cruise’s stunts and an instantaneous virtual journey from Paris to the land of Hollywood and L.A. Coliseum were magical as some top USA athletes, including track and field legend Michael Johnson, showed their readiness to welcome the Games. A performance by rapper Snoop Dogg completed the lovely shift.
Yseult performed My Way, an iconic hit song depicting a strong link between France and the USA, as the Olympic flame was extinguished to mark the end of the 33rd edition of the Games while the City of Light got ready to welcome the Paralympic Games.
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