Paris closed its Olympic Games with a brilliant, futuristic ceremony, which will go down in history for their ambition and for turning the city into a monumental open-air stadium.
The celebrations sought to show a France that is both proud of its tradition and its commitment to the future, and which has been the focus of these Games, which since July 26 have taken place in modern venues full of technology and the main monuments of Paris transformed into spectacular settings.
The ceremony began in the Tuileries Gardens, at the foot of the cauldron, where the singer Zaho de Sagazan performed ‘Sous le ciel de Paris’, the most moving song about the spirit of the city, made famous by figures such as Édith Piaf and Yves Montand.
Then, to the applause of the crowd, the French hero of these Games, swimmer Léon Marchand, winner of four golds and one bronze, appeared to symbolically collect the flame from the cauldron and carry it to the stadium.
In front of 71,500 spectators who filled the Stade de France in Saint Denis, nearly 9,000 athletes and their companions from the 205 delegations that participated in these Games gathered in the centre of the stadium.
Tradition and modernity in music and dance
The musical repertoire included songs that have a special place in the hearts of the French, such as ‘Emmenez moi’ by Charles Aznavour, or ‘Champs Elysées’ by Joe Dassin, before moving on to a more danceable repertoire such as ‘Freed from desire’ by Gala Rizzatto, without forgetting the inevitable ‘We are the champions’ by Queen.
Following the presentation of the medals for the women’s marathon and a tribute to the 45,000 volunteers, a ceremony called ‘Records’ began, the work of Thomas Jolly – also responsible for the opening on the Seine – and which took place in a setting that recreated the five continents.
There were references to ancient Greece as the country of origin of Olympism, and the famous sculpture of the Victory of Samothrace, which is on display at the Louvre, appeared.
Dozens of masked extras descended from the stadium’s ceiling for a contemporary dance on the occasion of the unveiling of the Olympic rings, and opera singer Benjamin Bernheim performed the ‘Hymn to Apollo’, the most famous musical theme of ancient Greece.
Five giant golden rings were then suspended over the centre of the stadium in a brief ceremony in the tradition of contemporary French dance and theatre performances.
At the end, hundreds of athletes climbed onto the stage to try to position themselves above their countries, before the public address system asked them to come down.
Then came the musical party, with some of the most modern names in French music, with performers such as Phoenix, Kavinsky and the Belgian Angèle.
“Paris has been a party”
In front of six of the most outstanding athletes of these Games, including the Cuban Mijaín López, who has won his fifth consecutive Olympic gold, the president of the Organizing Committee, Tony Estanguet, said: “We have experienced Games like never before.”
“Paris was a celebration and the whole of France was Olympic,” he added.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Paris 2024 “was the first Olympic Games of a new era” and that Olympic athletes had made “the City of Light shine like never before.”
In addition to President Emmanuel Macron and numerous international leaders, Doug Emhoff, the husband of US Vice President Kamala Harris, and Queen Emeritus Sofia of Spain were also present in the VIP box.
Los Angeles 2028 goes into action
And now it is the turn of the next Olympic city, which has taken up the flag with the five rings and given a preview of what can be expected in four years’ time.
The reference to Hollywood could not be missing. As had been leaked, actor Tom Cruise starred in a sequence reminiscent of the action films that have characterised his career in recent decades, being lowered from the ceiling by a cable and harness.
After running among the athletes, he went up on stage and collected the Olympic flag from the American gymnast Simone Biles and mounted it on a motorcycle, aboard which he set off on a metaphorical trip to the Californian metropolis.
This was followed by a live musical celebration broadcast from the beaches of Los Angeles, with performances by big stars from California and from a variety of genres, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg and Billie Eilish.
Finally, the Olympic flame that arrived from the Tuileries in a lantern was extinguished and Bach, “with his heart full of emotion”, officially declared the 2024 Paris Olympic Games closed and called on the Olympic world to gather in four years’ time in Los Angeles.
The ceremony concluded with a French nod to the United States but also a claim to self-pride: the French singer Yseult performed the unforgettable ‘My way’.
Paris / EFE
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2024-08-13 08:58:16
