As the sun set over the City
of Love on Monday, 270 artists and performers gathered at the Stade de France
to bid the world "adieu" and pass the torch to Los Angeles, the host
of the next Olympics in four years.
Here are the most memorableand unexpected moments from the Closing Ceremony:
1. French Hero Leon Marchand
Extinguishes the Flame
The first athlete to appear in the ceremony
was French swimmer Leon Marchand, who won five medals at these Games. He began
at the Jardin des Tuileries, where the giant golden balloon cauldron had been
displayed for the past two weeks. Rather than unshackling the balloon and
flying off into the sunset, Marchand approached a small plinth holding the actual
Olympic flame, which resembled a tiny handheld lantern straight out of a
Charles Dickens novel. As the light beneath the balloon faded, signaling the
end of the Games, Marchand walked off into the distance, only to reappear hours
later at the Stade de France. Dressed in a suit and holding the same flame, he
awkwardly extinguished it on stage beside IOC President Thomas Bach—a somewhat
anticlimactic moment after the golden balloon that had launched the Games just
16 days earlier.
2. Raygun Steals the Show at
the Pre-Ceremony Party
Despite receiving criticism for her recent
performance at the women's breaking event, Australian B-Girl Raygun became an
instant icon among Team Australia. As athletes lined up to enter the Stade de
France for the Opening Ceremony, Raygun was spotted busting out some moves in a
dance circle that formed around her. Anna Meares, Australia's Chef de Mission,
defended Raygun, stating she embodies the spirit of the Games. Whether her
routine was genuine breakdancing or avant-garde performance art remains a
mystery.
3. Women's Marathon Takes
Center Stage
The women's marathon, the
final event of the Paris Olympics, received the grandest medal ceremony
possible—right in the middle of the Stade de France. For the first time, this
event closed the Games, a fitting tribute to the first Olympics with gender parity.
Dutch runner Sifan Hassan won in Olympic record time, having also earned medals
in the 5,000m and 10,000m events earlier in the week. A refugee from Ethiopia
who moved to the Netherlands as a child, Hassan leaped onto the podium wearing
a hijab, a significant moment given France's strict rules on head coverings in
sports. Her triumph captured the essence of the Olympics and the power of
sport.
4. The Closing Ceremony
Fashion Parade
Unlike the formal attire of
the Opening Ceremony, athletes donned more casual outfits for the Closing
Ceremony. There were plenty of bucket hats, but fewer traditional outfits.
Portugal's team wore matching multicolored polos and caps reminiscent of
kindergarten uniforms, while Liberia's athletes looked like a hip-hop crew in
all-black cut-off sweats. Team GB sported shirts resembling grandma's couch
fabric, and Botswana rocked retro windbreakers in black, blue, and white. The
USA opted for Formula 1-style racing jackets, though the Ralph Lauren logo
somewhat dulled the cool factor. Meanwhile, Team Australia looked like staff
from Taronga Zoo in forgettable linen shirts and cargo shorts, with some even
wearing chef's hats—perhaps a nod to the iconic French dish, Ratatouille.
5. The Golden Voyager and the
Orc-Like Performers
The Paris Olympics were
bookended by mysterious figures, from the parkouring torchbearer to the
glittering silver rider on the Seine. The Closing Ceremony introduced a
golden-clad voyager descending from the sky, amid a dark and ominous light
show. The stadium was transformed into a surreal scene, with broken continents
illuminated by lightning flashes. The voyager was joined by the torchbearer
from the Opening Ceremony, who nearly struck a silver horse rider with a giant
golden rod while attaching the Greek flag. As the orc-like performers swarmed
the stage, they lifted five massive rings from the platform ruins, reassembling
them in a symbolic gesture of Olympic unity. The identity of the golden voyager
remained a mystery—perhaps it was Ratatouille after all.
6. Athletes Rebel Against
Ceremony Protocol
During the final montage of
the Games, hundreds of athletes ignored instructions to leave the stage,
choosing instead to savor the moment. Despite repeated requests from the
stadium announcer, they stayed put, eager to enjoy a front-row seat for the
upcoming band performance. After achieving extraordinary feats of athleticism,
they were in no mood to be hurried off stage.
7.Phoenix, Air, and Ezra
Koenig Bring the Energy
The Closing Ceremony shifted
from performance art to a full-blown concert, with French band Phoenix kicking
off the music. The iconic chords of "Lisztomania" rang out, and while
the band probably didn't expect to perform so close to athletes filming with
their phones, the Olympics were full of surprises. Belgian singer Angèle and DJ
Kavinsky followed with a low-fi synthwave track, and Cambodian rapper VannDa
delivered an energetic performance. Phoenix returned, this time joined by the
famous duo Air, before Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend closed out the night with
a duet and solo performances. It was a stark contrast to the operatic Opening
Ceremony, but fitting for an Olympics that was anything but ordinary.