Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Au revoir Paris 2024. After 16 days of world-class competition across 32 sports and 329 events, the 33rd Summer Olympics came to a close on August 11. Paris passed the baton to Los Angeles after delivering its share of memorable moments.
More than 70,000 spectators were present inside the stadium to watch 270 artists and performers in the closing ceremony.
To celebrate the Games, Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Paris 2024 Games ceremonies, put together Records, an exceptional show staged at the Stade de France to ensure that everyone can enjoy the party right up to the last second. It was a wonderful way to collectively celebrate the athletes who excelled through their sporting performances.
The Stade de France transformed into a gigantic concert hall, featuring over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists. IOC President Thomas Bach and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron received a loud cheer as the duo shook hands and hugged each other, waving at the crowd.
A flag party then carried the French flag into the stadium, where the Orchestre Divertimento and Maitrise de Fontainebleau performed Victor le Masne’s rearrangement of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. All the athletes then entered the arena and were seen dancing and taking selfies to capture the moment.
Following the excitement, the athletes jumped onto the stadium and the announcer was forced to ask them to get down. The sportspersons were not ready to leave but after being requested several times, the volunteers managed to clear the stage amid laughter. And the show then went ahead.
