Paris handed the Olympic flag to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, setting the stage for the next Olympic Games in 2028 in a closing ceremony she presented.
The Closing Ceremony of the 33rd Olympic Games began with the entrance of French President Emmanuel Macron and IOC President Thomas Bach, the National Anthem of France, the famous "Massaliotide", was played by the Orchester Divertimento of Maestro Zachia Giouani, while the French flag was raised towards the roof of the Stadium from France.
While that of the Opening of the Games (26/7) took place for the first time in History outside the stadium, along the river Seine with the naval parade of the athletes, tonight (11/8) the Closing Ceremony - which required 35 days of rehearsal - returned traditionally in a stadium and specifically in the "Stade de France". A far cry from the ultra-pop and queer spirit of Opening Ceremony.
The Plataniotis and Karalis entrance
Shorter than the Opening Ceremony - which started at 20:30 and ended after 00:30 -, the Closing Ceremony started at 22:00 - and ended shortly after 01:00 - with the athletes "returning" to the stadium, with the Greek team - traditionally - entering first with Evangelia Plataniotis and Manolis Karalis as flag bearers.
A total of 206 flag bearers of the participating Olympic delegations and those of the Olympic refugee team, entered the stadium in turn, marching on a stage that symbolically represents a...flat circle. Nine thousand athletes and attendants were in the center of the playing field, as protagonists of the program.
"Under the Paris Sky"
The Opening Ceremony began with images from Paris, the Opening Ceremony, highlights from the Games and the song "Under the Paris Sky" by Zacho de Sagazan, with the Handel-Hendrix Academy Choir, in the Ceramics Garden, where the balloon with the Olympic Flame is located.
The altar was extinguished as soon as Marchant took the lantern with the Olympic Flame
Léon Marchand, the "king" of swimming in Paris 2024, with five medals, four of them gold, dressed in a suit is the one who undertook to carry the Olympic Flame to the stadium from the heart of the Louvre.
As soon as the French swimmer took the lantern with the Olympic Flame in his hands the balloon-altar stopped shining, until it shines again for the Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8).
The medals for the women of the Marathon
After the completion of the entrance of the athletes from all the Olympic missions and the hearing of emblematic songs, the president of the IOC Thomas Bach and the president of World Athletics Sebastian Coe, made - traditionally - the award to the three women who were on the podium of the winners of the Marathon.
The apotheosis of volunteers
This was followed by the entrance of the people who represented the volunteers at the Paris Games. The number of volunteers was perfectly split between men and women, with 20% coming from 150 different countries.
Received thanks from new International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission (AC) members Allyson Felix (USA, Athletics), Kim Bui (Germany, Gymnastics), Jessica Fox (Australia, Canoe) and Marcus Daniel (New Zealand, Tennis), whose term expires at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
It was the moment when the lights turned on the volunteers, before ... night fell on the stadium.
The "golden explorer", the Greek flag and our national anthem
The 'Stade de France' was plunged into darkness for the start of the show, called 'Records', 'transporting' spectators and viewers to another world, starring the 'gold prospector'.
Dressed all in gold by young Swiss designer Kevin Germaniere, he was inspired by French breakdancer Arthur Cardet.
Descending from the roof of the stadium the "golden explorer", inspired by many references from the French historical heritage, starting with the genius of the Bastille, as well as creatures of science fiction and video games. In his exploration there, he was handed the Greek flag while listening to our national anthem.
“As ancient Greece was a place of discovery for Pierre de Coubertin and his associates when he discovered and revived the Olympic Games. This is how our story was born, our character helped other explorers to awaken the remnants of the Games and rebuild them, because one day humanity created this monument and it is worth continuing to keep it alive. Then the title of the ceremony appeared: Record, in the honorary sense of sporting feats," the organizers said.
All this before the...statue of Victory of Samothrace was revealed.
Excerpts from the Paris Olympic conference at the Sorbonne
Excerpts were then heard from the Paris Olympic Congress on the revival of the Olympic Games, on June 16, 1894, at the Sorbonne, initiated by Pierre de Coubertin, and from the announcement of the International Olympic Committee in October 1894:
"The Olympic Games will be international competitions, truly world championships, in which all the sports and physical exercises practiced today will be represented, like the Olympiads of Ancient Greece.
We want to take from this model of the old Olympian games, the double principle of federation and periodicity. They will take place in 1896 in Athens, in 1900 in Paris and then every four years in the various capitals of the Universe.
We will also remember that by virtue of a law that was always observed with a religious bond, the time of the Olympic Games was a time of sacred truce for all Greeks.
Let us assemble the different nations for the friendly contests of sport, and may the faithful observance of the rules which govern our games open their souls to that feeling of mutual respect, which is the first foundation of the preservation of peace among nations! »
The party has begun
The athletes made room on the stage for the French band Phoenix to take the stage and start the party. A spectacular light and sound show. Belgium's Angel "joined" Phœnix next, before Kaminsky, Air and Vannda took the stage.
the American touch with Ezra Koenig, while images from the spectacular journey of the Olympic Flame, which had started on April 16 from Ancient Olympia, took turns.
The costumes of the performers, acrobats, dancers, entirely recycled by Kevin Germaniere (except for the star outfits dressed by sponsor Dior), were in the palette of gold, black and rhinestones.
Responsible for the musical accompaniment of the performance was the symphonic orchestra Divertimento, with the children of the master school of Fontainebleau.
The six athletes representing 5 continents and refugees
From the party and the smoothies to the speeches. Paris 2024 Organizing Committee President Tony Estanget and IOC President Thomas Bach took to the stage, along with six athletes representing the five continents and the Refugee Olympic Team.
Sidi Ngaba - boxer, bronze medalist, representing the Refugee Olympic Team
Sun Yingsha - Table Tennis, three gold medals, two silver medals, representing Asia
Eliud Kipchoge, Marathon runner, two gold medals, one silver medal, one bronze medal, representing Africa
Miyan Lopez - wrestler, five gold medals, representing America
Teddy Rinne, judoka, five gold medals, two bronze medals, representing Europe
Emma McKeon, swimmer, six gold medals, three silver medals, five bronze medals, representing Oceania
The talks by Tony Estange and Thomas Bach
Tony Estange: "To you athletes, what can I say? We knew you would be brilliant, but you were magical. You made us happy, you made us feel alive. On behalf of billions of people who love sports on all five continents, thank you very much. We will reunite at LA28 and the Games will continue to grow.”
Thomas Bach: “Despite all the tensions in our world, you have come here from the 206 national Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, to make the City of Light shine brighter than ever before. Your performances were amazing. You competed hard against each other. Every race on the edge of perfection. Each performance sparked excitement around the world. You have shown us what greatness we humans are capable of. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games were a celebration of athletes and sport at its best. The first Olympic Games delivered fully within the framework of our Olympic Agenda reforms: more youthful, more urban, more inclusive, more sustainable. The first Olympic Games with full gender equality.
These were sensational Olympics from start to finish – or dare I say: Seine Olympics.”
A thought for Greece
It is worth noting that in the live broadcast by the French newspaper Equipe during Thomas Bach's speech, he wrote: "A thought for Greece. We wouldn't want to spoil the party, but... the Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of the town of Marathon, near Athens, this evening due to the fires. Sad symbolism as these Games end…”
The Olympic Anthem
This was followed by the Olympic Anthem composed for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 by the Corfu composer Spyros Samaras, in poetry and lyrics by Kostis Palamas.
" Ancient Immortal Spirit, pure father of the beautiful, the great and the true, descend, appear and shine here beyond in the glory of your own earth and heaven.
On the road and in the fight and on the stone, in the noble Games the momentum shone, and with the amaranth he crowned the branch and the iron shaped and worthy the body.
and iron cast and worthy the body.
Plains, mountains and seas shine with you like a white and purple great temple. And run to the temple here your pilgrim, And run to the temple here your pilgrim, Ancient Spirit immortal, every people, every people Ancient Spirit immortal, every people.
Los Angeles tradition and Tom Cruise
It was tradition in Los Angeles, the city that will host the next Summer Games in 2028, 44 years after the 1984 event.
As tradition dictates, Paris Mayor Ann Hidalgo symbolically handed the Olympic flag to Thomas Bach, who in turn gave it to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the first black mayor to receive the flag and was escorted by Simone Biles.
He immediately began a show lasting about twelve minutes designed by Ben Winston, a British producer and director, who at the age of 42 has already received 13 Emmy awards in his career.
The singer Gabriela Wilson, also known as HER, sang the American anthem, while Tom Cruise in a new "Mission: Impossible" (dangerous mission), ...jumps from the top of the saddle to take the Olympic flag and climbing on a motorcycle to ...start the journey to Los Angeles. With a vignette shot on both sides of the Atlantic, showing the top star making his way through the iconic flags of Paris, plummeting to Hollywood, before handing the Olympic flag to other famous athletes in turn, Kate Courtney, Michael Johnson, Jacker Eaton.
Corday went downtown to the LA Memorial Coliseum, which was a venue in 1932, and in 1984, Johnson passed through the neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Eaton completed the flag "relay" at world-famous Venice Beach. A video played to the sounds of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were succeeded by Billie Eilish and later Snoop Dogg, all from sunny California.
Extinguishing the Olympic Flame
All this before the big finale. The climax. Leon Marchand arrived at the Stade de France with the lantern carrying the Olympic Flame. Next to the six athletes representing the five continents and the refugees, and Léon Marchand, Thomas Bach announced the end of the Olympic Games, with the mufflers blowing for the extinguishing of the Flame, calling for the rendezvous in Los Angeles.
"According to tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to gather four years from now in Los Angeles, United States of America, to celebrate with us the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad," said the IOC president.
Before Frank Sinatra's famous classic "My Way" - originally based on the French song Comme d'habitude - was performed by French Yseult, and fireworks lit up the sky at the Stade de France.
The 2028 Olympics have already started counting down.
Source: protothema.gr