French swimmer Leon Marchand, left, carries a lantern containing the Olympic flame in the Tuileries garden as the cauldron is extinguished on the final day of the 2024 Summer Olympics ahead of the closing ceremony on August 11, 2024, in Paris, France. | Photo Credit: AP
The gigantic Stade de France resembled a concert hall hosting a party to celebrate the fortnight of sporting excellence as a breathtaking closing ceremony kicked off with athletes marching into the iconic Stade de France to thunderous applause.
The nearly four-hour-long innovative opening ceremony over River Seine had showcased the architectural wonders of the city and the country’s rich heritage, and the closing ceremony was also enchanting, watched by close to 75,000 spectators.
The two-hour-long show, created by Thomas Jolly, began with a musical performance as an ode to the Games’ host city. French singer Zaho de Sagazan sang the famous ‘Sous le ciel de Paris’.
Meanwhile, coming from the iconic Louvre museum, a torchbearer seizes the lantern that contains the Olympic Flame and sets off to the Stade de France.
The closing ceremony celebrated the power of diversity and solidarity: just like the Olympic Games, which is considered the greatest intangible work of humankind for peace, and togetherness and that human beings are capable of the best.
