The Paris Olympics 2024 comes to an end with the closing ceremony at Stade de France in Paris. The ceremony arranged to celebrate the completion of the sports spectacle witnessed the hosts of the current edition, Paris, pass over the reigns to Los Angeles, the site of the next edition of the Olympic Games in 2028. Californian singer H.E.R. performed the national anthem of the United States during the LA28 handover, while Tom Cruise executed a rappelling stunt.
French singer-songwriter Zaho de Sagazan, who performed “Modern Love” to Greta Gerwig during the Cannes Film Festival, opened the closing ceremony with a rendition of French music great Edith Piaf’s “Sous le Ciel de Paris”.
The stadium went dark as the goal was to transfer viewers to another planet that was dark, abandoned, and mysterious, paving the way for the arrival of The Golden Voyager. This character was inspired by references from French history, including the Spirit of the Bastille.
As is protocol during the Closing Ceremony, the Greek flag was raised.
Phoenix, a French indie rock band from Versailles, that was formed in 1995, stunned everyone with their performance. French artist Kavinsky performed his hit number Nightcall for the packed stadium.
Pianist Alain Roche performed ‘The Hymn to Apollo’ while dangling in the air on his back, with a piano held above him. Opera singer Benjamin Bernheim joined him, standing in the centre of one of the circles and performing the song.
The Grammy Award-winning R&B singer H.E.R started off the transition to the LA2028 Olympics with her melodic singing of her rendition of the the American National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner.
The star of the Paris Olympics, superstar Simone Biles, appeared on stage with LA Mayor Karen Bass to accept the Olympic flag.
Tom Cruise performed a gravity-defying stunt. He rappelled from the Stade de France roof.
Grammy Award-winning musician Billie Eilish performed her smash song “Birds of a Feather”.
Michael Johnson, Jagger Eaton, and Kate Courtney carry the Olympic Flag through Los Angeles streets before Grammy Award-winning band Red Hot Chilli Peppers performs “Can’t Stop” on the beach.
American rapper and record producer Snoop Dogg also amazed everyone with the performance. Snoop Dogg performed “Drop It Like It’s Hot” followed by “The Next Episode”.
It concluded with Yseult’s spine-chilling performance of “My way”.
USA ended the Paris Olympics 2024 at the top of the medal tally with a total of 126 medals, including 40 gold medals, 44 silver and 42 bronze medals on Sunday.
In second place is China, who ended their campaign with 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze medals, making it a total of 91 medals. The third place was bagged by Japan, who took home 20 golds, 12 silver and 13 bronze medals, which is a total of 45 medals. The Indian contingent finished at the 71st spot, with a silver medal and five bronze medals to their name, bringing home a total of six medals.
A contingent of 117 Indian athletes pursued medals and sporting glory at the marquee event.
India secured a total of six medals at the marquee event, including one silver and five bronze, according to Olympics.com.
Manu Bhaker clinched India’s first medal at these Games, earning bronze and becoming the first Indian woman to medal in Olympic shooting.
She then made history by becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympic edition, following her mixed team 10m air pistol bronze with Sarabjot Singh. Her medal with Sarabjot was also the country’s first team medal in shooting.
Swapnil Kusale contributed a third medal in shooting, marking India’s largest haul in this sport at a single Olympics. It was India’s first-ever medal in the 50 m rifle three positions.
The Indian men’s hockey team repeated their Tokyo 2020 success by securing bronze in Paris. Neeraj Chopra further enhanced his Olympic legacy, claiming silver in the javelin throw and becoming the most successful individual Olympian from India. Since the Munich 1972 Games, team India won two successive bronze medals at the marquee event.
Aman Sehrawat added to the tally, becoming India’s youngest Olympic medallist with a bronze in wrestling.
Despite these achievements, India faced significant disappointments in Paris 2024. The nation narrowly missed out on six potential medals, with athletes finishing fourth in their events, including Lakshya Sen, Mirabai Chanu, and Manu Bhaker, who was close to securing a third medal. Also, the mixed team archery duo of Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat could not win a medal for India, losing the bronze medal match. But the archers made history by becoming the first archers from India to reach an Olympic medal match.
Some other setbacks for India included, star pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty missing out on a medal despite being in a fine form, crashing out in the semifinals of men’s doubles badminton. Also, PV Sindhu failed to make it a hat-trick of medals at three successive Olympics.
The veteran archer and multi-time Olympian Deepika Kumari failed to return home with a medal despite immense level of experience and success at non-Olympic events. Boxers Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, the latter being Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist, could not get the country some highly-anticipated medals.
Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification just before a historic final of women’s 50 kg also contributed to the nation’s woes.
Indian athletes participated in 69 medal events across 16 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis.