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The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially over. The historic sporting event drew to a close yesterday after providing viewers with a month of the best in sports. The closing ceremony was hosted yesterday, and was meant to be a celebration of this year's athleticism while setting the stage for what's to come: the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. Here are some of the highlights:
Tom Cruise gives the Olympics a Hollywood welcome
The Olympics closing ceremonies have a certain rhythm to them. The Mayor of the city hosting them usually takes the Olympic flag and hands it to the president of the International Olympic Committee, who'll in turn hand it to the Mayor of the city that'll be hosting the event in four years. This year, things were different. Tom Cruise made the show a bit more exciting, jumping from the stadium's rooftop, receiving the flag, and then cutting to a pre-recorded segment where he drives a motorcycle through Paris, boards a plane, and then jumps out of it, landing in Los Angeles. To close out the adrenaline-packed clip, Cruise makes his way to the Hollywood sign and drapes it in the Olympic colors of blue, yellow, black, green, and red.
Billie Eilish performed the biggest songs of the summer
The closing ceremony was packed with performers, none bigger and more relevant to pop culture than Billie Eilish. To celebrate the upcoming Olympics in Los Angeles, Eilish performed "Birds of a Feather," one of the biggest songs of the summer. She was joined by other LA icons like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg. H.E.R. also performed the U.S. national anthem in Paris.
Athletes got to relax and sing karaoke
Athletes in attendance looked happy to be involved in the ceremony, pumping up fans and chatting with their teammates and friends. The stadium hosted a karaoke session with everyone in attendance, playing songs like "We Are The Champions" and “Freed From Desire,” with athletes and fans singing and dancing.
One last stunning light show
The Olympics are bombastic events. This year, Paris worked hard on impressive light shows, including impressive displays on the Eiffel Tower, and more. To close out the Olympics, the lights at the Stade de France stadium went out, with the wristbands of thousands of people lighting up at once in an impressive and unique view.