Athletes enter the arena during the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics at the Stade de France on August 11, 2024. Photo credit: Sarah Phipps – USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
PAris beamed as the 19 days of competition at the Summer Olympics (July 26 to August 11) came to a close with an evening of musical performances at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis before a roaring crowd of 71,500.
The closing ceremony began with the entry of around 9,000 athletes from 206 delegations into the stadium, led by Greece. In Paris, to live up to its nickname “City of Lights”, flashing armbands were distributed to spectators and over 1,000 projectors were integrated into the performances.
Flag bearers for the American delegation included gold medalist Nick Mead, the first flag bearer in rowing, and Katie Ledecky, the most decorated American athlete in Olympic history with 14 medals in swimming.
The USA led the medal count at the Paris Games with 126, followed by China with 91, Great Britain with 65 and France with 64.
Closing ceremony artists included Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The next Summer Olympics will take place in Los Angeles in 2028.
Here are some photos from the 2024 graduation ceremony:
Athletes from different nations during the athletes parade.Esa Alexander—Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, during the closing ceremony.John Walton – PA Images/Getty Images
French swimmer Leon Marchand takes the Olympic flame out of the cauldron.Loic Venance – AFP/Getty Images
Athletes of the French team celebrate during the closing ceremony.Rebecca Blackwell – AP
French athletes take part in the athletes parade.Luis Robayo-AFP/Getty Images
Gold medalist Sifan Hassan of Team Netherlands (centre), silver medalist Tigst Assefa of Team Ethiopia (left) and bronze medalist Hellen Obiri of Team Kenya (right) celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony in the women’s marathon at the closing ceremony.Carl Recine – Getty Images
Athletes of Team USA enjoy the atmosphere during the closing ceremony.Michael Reaves – Getty Images
The choir of the Maitrise de Fontainebleau performs the French national anthem accompanied by the Orchestra Divertimento under the direction of the French conductor Zahia Ziouani.Mohd Rasfan – AFP/Getty Images
The “Golden Voyager” descends into the stadium.Mustafa Yalcin – Anadolu/Getty Images
During the closing ceremony, the performers raise a ring.Lintao Zhang – Getty Images
Swiss pianist Alain Roche plays Hymn To Apollo.Jamie Squire – Getty Images
The Olympic rings will be displayed during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.Mohd Rasfan – AFP/Getty Images
An overview shows the performance of the French rock band Phoenix during the closing ceremony.Julie Sebadelha-AFP/Getty Images
The athletes celebrate during the closing ceremony.Andy Chua – Reuters
HER performs during the closing ceremony.Franck Fife – AFP/Getty Images
The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, presents the Olympic flag to American Simone Biles.David Davies – PA Images/Getty Images
Tom Cruise with the Olympic flag.Johanna Säll – BILDBYRÅN/Reuters
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg perform at the LA 28 Olympic Games handover ceremony.Emma McIntyre – LA28/Getty Images
