Hollywood actor Tom Cruise abseiled from the roof of the Stade de France as Paris bid farewell to the Olympic Games, which were hailed as some of the most successful.
On Sunday evening, Cruise rode down a tightrope in front of 71,500 spectators, grabbed the Olympic flag and jumped onto a motorcycle, much to the delight of the athletes and fans.
In a preview of what the world can expect when the Games come to Los Angeles in 2028, the Mission Impossible star was seen boarding a plane, parachuting over the Californian city and then decorating the iconic Hollywood sign with the Olympic rings.
The Los Angeles band Red Hot Chili Peppers, singer Billie Eilish and rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre then gave a mini concert on a beach, surrounded by the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The final spectacle marked the beginning of the four-year countdown to the LA Games. US gymnastics icon Simone Biles was present at the official handover of the Olympic flag together with the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.
Previously, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, said that the Games in Paris were “sport at its finest”.
“These were sensational Olympic Games from start to finish,” said Bach. “Or, if I may put it this way: Seine-sational Games,” joked the IOC chief, making a play on words about the river that flows through Paris and was the scene of the opening ceremony.
“Dear French friends, you have fallen in love with the Olympic Games. And we have fallen in love with all of you,” Bach added.
Around 9,000 athletes flocked to the stadium to be entertained by 270 performers and artists in a ceremony that was billed as a celebration of humanity and the unifying power of sport.
“We knew you would be brilliant, but you were magical,” Tony Estanguet, chief organizer of Paris 2024, told the athletes. “You made us happy, you made us feel alive – the world needed this moment so much.”
