Paris hands over baton to Los Angeles 2028 at Games closing

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have now come to an end. In a grand ceremony held this Sunday (11) at the Stade de France, the imaginary baton of world Olympic capital was passed from the French city to Los Angeles, California, in the United States, which will host the 2028 Olympics. The countdown until July 14, 2028, the start date of the next Games, has already begun. Paris hands over baton to Los Angeles 2028 at Games closing

The ceremony, which mixed the usual live spectacle in the stadium with recorded segments, began with the Olympic flame being transferred from the cauldron to the ceremony site. French swimmer Léon Marchand, one of the standouts of the competition with four gold medals, appeared carrying the flame in a small box.

At the Stade de France, the athletes chosen to be flag bearers entered. For Brazil, the duo Duda and Ana Patrícia, gold medalists in beach volleyball, were in charge of the task.

Later, they were joined by larger groups from their respective delegations. For Brazil, the presence of gymnast Victoria Borges, who competed in rhythmic gymnastics despite being injured, drew attention. Sitting in a wheelchair, she pulled the Brazilian delegation.

The one who led the Brazilian delegation was her: Victória Borges! 🇧🇷🦁

Our LIONESS of rhythmic gymnastics who competed injured and moved the whole world! 🥹💚💛 pic.twitter.com/FBEb9k5rJW

— Time Brazil (@timebrasil) August 11, 2024

During the ceremony, as usual, the last Olympic podium was celebrated. In this case, the women’s marathon. Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, who won the race on Sunday morning in a spectacular finish, received the gold. Hassan, who was born in Ethiopia and became a Dutch citizen, is Muslim and took the podium wearing a hijab.

The visual and musical spectacle of the ceremony featured a projection of the statue of the goddess Nike, one of the most famous works of art on display at the Louvre Museum. The Olympic symbol with the five rings was placed on the Stade de France.

A piano played upright by a French artist also went up. At another point, the French band Phoenix performed for an ecstatic audience, including athletes.

In the final stretch of the ceremony, a symbolic handover took place from one venue to the other. At this point, IOC President Thomas Bach addressed the audience. Bach highlighted the role of the Games in creating a culture of peace in times of armed conflict in some parts of the world. The German highlighted the fact that these were the first Games with full gender equality in terms of participation in sports.

Finally, with a pun on the name of the River Seine that caused so much concern, Bach defined the Paris Olympics as ‘sensational’.

The Olympic flag was passed from the hands of Anne Hidalgo, mayor of the French capital, to those of Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, duly accompanied by Simone Biles, artistic gymnastics star.

The North American leg of the ceremony featured a triumphant entrance by actor Tom Cruise, who ziplined down the streets in the style of his character Ethan Hunt, played by him in ‘Mission: Impossible’. During this part, the city showed off its credentials in a recorded video, which began with Cruise carrying the Olympic flag to Los Angeles on a motorcycle and ended with performances by the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, singer Billie Eilish and rapper Snoop Dogg, accompanied by fellow rapper Dr. Dre.

Finally, to represent the official end of the Games, swimmer Léon Marchand finally arrived at the stadium with the flame, which was extinguished by a group formed by other athletes representing the six continents of the world.

To the sound of the song ‘Comme d’habitude’, which gave rise to the classic ‘My Way’, popularized by Frank Sinatra, in English, the French singer Yseult ended the ceremony and, consequently, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

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