In a grand finale to the Summer Games, renowned musicians from California, such as Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and rap star Snoop Dogg, were expected to serenade a crowd of thousands in Paris last Sunday. As the baton of the Olympics was about to be passed on to Los Angeles, the latter was already looking forward to treating spectators to a feast of a spectacle starring its native celebrities of the highest calibre.
Paris had maximised the appeal of its significant landmarks, particularly the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, to charm its audience. However, the grand closure was launched with a show involving Leon Marchand, a standout French swimmer, receiving the Olympic torch within a lantern from the gardens that offer a striking view of the Louvre, officially marking the start of its brief transit to the border stadium.
The ceremony progressed with flagbearers of all 205 Olympic delegations march into the stadium, guided by the French rugby sensation Antoine Dupont. The stadium then filled with more athletes amid resounding cheers to a pulsating soundtrack.
The closing spectacle was planned to last for two and a half hours, offering a theatre-like performance labelled as ‘Records.’ The program aimed to take spectators on a whimsical journey through time, guided by a designated ‘Golden Voyager.’ The narrative would start from the inception of the Olympics and lunge into a dystopian futuristic era where the Games had disappeared and needed revival.
Throughout the odyssey, the traveller would encounter symbols signifying peace and unity that resonate with the values of Olympism. However, it’s the Californian musicians along with the Grammy-winning artist, HER, singing the American anthem, that is set to steal the show, leaving fans of the Games and television viewers in awe.
The participation of Snoop Dogg, who has been part of NBC Primetime’s Olympics coverage, was particularly anticipated, together with further unconfirmed rumours about Tom Cruise making a Mission Impossible style stunt. LA28’s chairperson, Casey Wasserman remarked that the Olympic flag’s passing from Paris to LA would be the greatest milestone in LA28 history.
In addition, an undisclosed star was slated to perform alongside a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way,’ initially performed by French music legend Claude Francois. This could serve as a subtle nudge to the global audience that Paris hosted the Olympic Games in its unique style.
Over a thrilling fortnight, China and the United States vied intensely for first position in the medal tally, right up until the concluding event. Just as the men’s basketball team had delivered a crushing blow to France, so did the American women’s basketball line-up by snatching victory by a single point, thereby securing a crucial 40th gold and standing atop the medal leaderboard.
In anticipation of the closing ceremony, spectators applauded the French organisers for the remarkable management of the event, reminiscing a fortnight suffused with dramatic sporting action and a palpable embodiment of Olympic spirit, all set amidst the captivating scenery of one of the globe’s most stunning cities.
“I feel that the Games have been truly epochal,” commented Adam Osprey (60), a retired American bureaucrat living in France. Contrary to generally held expectations, the hosting nation was swept up by a wave of Olympic euphoria. France had a newly crowned sporting hero in the form of swimmer Leon Marchand who established himself as the undisputed champion in the pool, obtaining four gold medals in the initial week. This was followed by Teddy Riner, the French judoka, securing his fifth Olympic gold.
Several sports were making their Olympic appearance for the first or second time, including breaking, 3×3 basketball, sports climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. Meanwhile, the Irish team experienced their best Olympic performance at the Paris Games, climbing to the 19th spot from the 64th position in Sydney, 24 years prior, and collecting a total of four gold and three bronze medals.
Though there were no significant scandals, the IOC faced some contentious issues. Tensions arose around doping allegations targeting Chinese athletes at the swimming events, where the American team was initially confronted with the most formidable challenge in years. Additionally, controversies about gender eligibility surfaced within the women’s boxing event, exposing existing tensions between the IOC and the International Boxing Association.
Coupled with the fact that a €1.3 billion cleansing effort of the Seine permitted triathlon and marathon events to be conducted without any subsequent health concerns, the most captivating aspect of the Games for many was the backdrop of the ‘City of Light’, adding an extra layer of beauty and charm to the entire event.
James Rutledge, aged 59, a retired banker donning a ‘Team USA’ tee, voiced his opinions outside France’s Stade de France. According to Rutledge, ‘they’ have a significant milestone to achieve and ample work awaits them. He jestingly questioned if Hollywood was their subsequent aspiration. The information was cited from Reuters, all copyrights reserved by Thomson Reuters, 2024.