Paris closed out two and a half extraordinary weeks of Olympic sports and emotion with a boisterous, star-studded show in France’s national stadium on Sunday.
SAINT-DENIS, France — Paris closed out two and a half extraordinary weeks of Olympic sports and emotion with a boisterous, star-studded show in France’s national stadium on Sunday, handing over hosting duties for the Summer Games to the next city in line: Los Angeles in 2028.
In a display of Hollywood showmanship, Tom Cruise descended from the top of the French stadium to the «Mission Impossible» theme song, shaking hands with athletes, before taking the Olympic flag from star gymnast Simone Biles, putting it on the back of a motorcycle and driving out of the stadium.
In a prerecorded ride past the Eiffel Tower, Cruise drove his bike onto a plane and then skydived out of it over the Hollywood Hills. Three rings were added to the O’s of the famed Hollywood sign to create five interlaced Olympic rings.
It was just one of the highlights of the closing ceremony that put a final flourish to Paris’ first Games in a century, with an artistic show that celebrated Olympic themes, golden fireworks and thousands of athletes partying into the night.
In their enthusiasm, crowds of athletes rushed the stage during a highlight video from the Games, and stadium announcements in French and English urged them to double back. Some of them stayed, surrounding Grammy-winning French pop-rock band Phoenix as they played, before security and volunteers cleared the stage.
For Los Angeles, topping Paris could be mission impossible. The French capital made spectacular use of its cityscape for its first Games in 100 years. The Eiffel Tower and other iconic monuments became Olympic stars in their own right, serving as backdrops and in some cases venues for competitions.
But LA was bringing star power of its own: singer Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, rapper and Paris Olympics mainstay Snoop Dogg — plus longtime collaborator Dr. Dre — performed at Venice Beach as part of the handover from the City of Light to the City of Angels.
Each of the music artists is a California native, including H.E.R., who sang the U.
