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After two weeks of intense, thrilling competition between the world’s best athletes – not to mention a handful of controversies – the Paris Olympics came to a dramatic end on Sunday (11 August).
With the opening ceremony being met with intense backlash for offending the Christian community, the secular state was forced to change the closing event for the “umpteenth time” in a bid to appease religious groups.
The closing ceremony for the Paris Olympics brought out several stars, including Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg. H.E.R. and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Dr Dre shocked fans with a surprise appearance alongside Snoop dOGG, that many said “saved” the “arty” display in Paris, with the colourful celebration on Venice Beach, LA. The all-star lineup, which also included French group Phoenix, hit the stage as part of the handover to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Meanwhile,Top Gun actor Tom Cruise divided fans with an “epic stunt” over at the event in Paris. The Mission: Impossible star rappelled down from the top of Stade de France holding 80,000 spectators, landed on the stadium field and carried the Olympic flag while riding a motorbike through the crowd.
More traditional fixtures of the ceremony included the athletes’ parade, handover of the Olympic flag to the organisers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and a final medal presentation ceremony (for the women’s marathon from earlier in the day).
Over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists took part in a series of “science-fiction” and “dystopia” themed performances.
“Part of the show will take place in the air, while the giant sets, costumes, and spectacular lighting effects will take spectators on a journey through time, both past and future,” organisers had said ahead ahead of the event.
Thomas Jolly, artistic director of both the opening and closing ceremonies added: “It’s a very visual, very choreographic, very acrobatic show with an operatic dimension to give a great visual fresco and say goodbye to athletes from all over the world.”
LA28 chairperson Casey Wasserman in a statement: “This is the biggest moment in LA28 history to date, as the Olympic flag passes from Paris to LA. We are thrilled to feature the very best of LA with local artists and are grateful to Billie, H.E.R., the Chili Peppers and Snoop for their collaboration on what will be an incredible show to a global audience that will give fans a taste of what’s to come in 2028.”
Team GB secured over a dozen gold medals for performances in sports including swimming, mountain biking, shooting, rowing, and the men’s triathlon, winning over 50 medals in total. However, the games were not without controversy, as Algeria’s Imane Khelif won Gold after she battled a vicious gender row when she beat Italy’s Angela Carini in 46 seconds.
For those in the UK, the event can be rewatched on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
Additional reporting by Agencies
