Paris Bids Farewell to the Olympics with Spectacular Closing Ceremony

Sports | August 12, 2024, Monday // 08:50|  views

Bulgaria's Boryana Kaleyn and Semen Novikov

Around 70,000 spectators gathered at the Stade de France to witness the closing of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris. The ceremony began in the Tuileries Gardens, where the Olympic flame had been placed during the Games. France's swimming sensation, Leon Marchand, took the flame from the Gardens with a lantern and made his way to the Stade de France, marking the start of the event.

IOC President Thomas Bach and French President Emmanuel Macron received an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd. The ceremony included a stirring rendition of "Le Marseillaise," followed by the parade of nations, where all flag bearers marched together. Boryana Kaleyn and Semen Novikov proudly carried the Bulgarian flag during the parade. As the athletes celebrated, the stadium resonated with hits like "Les Champs-Elysées" by Joe Dassin, "Freed From Desire," and Queen's iconic "We Are the Champions."

Traditionally, the closing ceremony features an award presentation for the marathon medalists. This time, however, the focus was on the women's marathon to commemorate the Women's March on Versailles in 1789. Medals were awarded to Sifan Hassan, Tigst Assefa, and Hellen Obiri. The event also highlighted the "Marathon for All" (Marathon Pour Tous), a mass marathon held on August 10th in Paris, attracting over 20,000 participants for the first time at the Olympic Games.

Volunteers received well-deserved applause, and the four newly elected members of the IOC Athletes' Commission—Allyson Felix, Kim Bui, Jessica Fox, and Marcus Daniel—were introduced, presenting gifts to the volunteers' representatives. The artistic portion of the ceremony followed, with a golden traveler descending from the sky, symbolizing French history. The Greek flag was raised, and the national anthem played, honoring Greece's role in the origins of the Olympic Games. The ceremony paid tribute to Pierre de Coubertin, who revived the ancient Games in the late 19th century, with a creative nod to tradition.

In a stunning display, Nike, the goddess of victory depicted on every Olympic medal, appeared on stage. Spectators in the stands wore LED bracelets that formed images of athletes, peace doves, and finally, the Olympic rings. The golden traveler then revealed the Olympic rings in an impressive choreographed ballet, accompanied by French opera singer Benjamin Bernheim's rendition of "Hymn to Apollo" and Alain Roche playing the piano while suspended vertically in the air.

The musical segment of the show featured performances by Phoenix, with Angel joining them at one point, along with contributions from Kaminsky, Air, and Vannda. The stage, designed to represent a map of the world, became a gathering place for the athletes. At the ceremony's conclusion, Leon Marchand reappeared at the Stade de France with the Olympic flame. Alongside Thomas Bach and six renowned athletes—Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba, Sun Yingsha, Eliud Kipchoge, Mijain Lopez, Teddy Riner, and Emma McKeon, Marchand symbolically extinguished the flame.

The ceremony closed with a performance of "My Way" by French singer Yseult, highlighting the deep ties between France and the United States and the transition to the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. A spectacular light show brought the Paris Olympics to an end, ensuring these Games will be remembered as one of the most remarkable in modern sports history.


Tags: Olympic, Paris, games, ceremony

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