“See you at the games! The French version sounds slightly better, as usual. To be honest, everything appeared a little more lovely and joyful throughout the last 19 days when viewed through the lens of the Paris 2024 Olympics. A closing ceremony in Saint-Denis brought back memories of the previous summer games and genuinely raised everyone’s spirits. That was how it all officially ended.
It seemed appropriate that the last day in Paris should conclude with another vibrant show. The cleanest and most exquisitely aged games to date have been these. Olympic custom demands that the closing ceremony frequently devolves into a tedious formality. However, it seemed like everyone wanted to say farewell for one last time this time.
Something new started as the ceremony got underway. The Olympic torch is currently being handed on to Los Angeles in 2028 as part of an unending cycle. Here, 62-year-old Tom Cruise was there too, leaping off the top alongside American officials and celebrities. Tom had made it very apparent that there was no way around it.
For Paris, the task at hand is to “move it forward.” These games had a strong emotional impact due to their intricate visuals and structural integration with the city. Photographing triathletes on the Pont Alexandre III who are covered in perspiration and blood is no easy task. To be honest, I’m just allergic to it.
These components have now given the summer games an emotional depth. Los Angeles in 2028 will also need to have a hint of beauty and charm. “Tell me how you painted the French Olympics.”
From the outset, the closing ceremony had the feel of a triumphant procession. Even though it was still thirty degrees outside at Stade de France, nobody seemed to mind. Despite a few modest tweaks, the stadium still put on an incredible performance. 71,500 people sat around angled platforms on a black carpet adorned with stars, as it was viewed on Sunday night.
The press guide for the closing ceremony was chock full of unbelievable numbers, as usual. There were nine thousand athletes there. Nine thousand personnel for ceremonies. One thousand light sources. Five hundred motorcycles. Additionally, Timberlake is rolling on a track.
As it happened, the performers in the French portion were top-notch. The first outdoor performance by Jao De Sagazan at Versailles was amazing. Everyone melted when they saw Leon Marchand enter the room dressed in a suit at one point. Thomas Bach and Emmanuel Macron also made an appearance in the stadium in their box, appearing solemn and giving an embrace (the game calls for drama, so bring it on).
The outcry over Thomas Jolly’s distinctly Parisian ceremony has long since subsided. caricature, blue guys, punk, mocking snook, and pantomime. Introducing: France. Jolly was back but in a more official setting. The athletes paraded positively and healthily, as usual. Men’s triathlon winner Alex Yee and trampoline gold medallist Bryony Page represented Team GB with great perseverance and determination.
It took a while at times. A very long minor chord was used in an amazing dancing sequence. All of the athletes surged onto the stage, creating a chaotic scene. They were told to back off before ruining the moment. Phoenix, a band, played some angrier French pub rock. An amazing performance by a rapper who is Cambodian-French.
At last, Bach made an appearance on stage with Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris Committee, who delivered a wonderful address brimming with thanks and delight. He further said that during the Olympic Games, he had received the most offers. Oh please, dude, hurry up.
“France has rediscovered itself,” he declared during the unity speech. We started acting like a party. Yes, about that. Now the real world will reappear in this image, and it is a chaotic area. When the actual wave surges behind him and fills the horizon during these games, Macron frequently resembled a character from a disaster film, surveying the area and exclaiming, “Hey, I think we made it through.”
In his incredibly boring way, Bach also gave us comfort. With a voice that could make someone spend 48 hours studying actuarial paperwork, he declared that the City of Light had never shined more brightly. The Olympic flag was ultimately handed over to the Mayor of Los Angeles, followed by some music for the national anthem. And then at last, as was already mentioned, Tom Cruise did show up, standing on the stadium roof, before making the terrible and gory jump to his death.
No, that isn’t the case. Rather, Cruise came to rest on a cable. His “death-defying stunt,” which sparked much discussion at the time, lost credibility when it was revealed that a portion of it had been pre-recorded and that he wasn’t dead at all. Thus, a little letdown.
He was seized and kissed by several. He stayed put. Instead, he bravely raced to the stage, seized the Olympic flag, and rode off with it, reclaiming the Pacific islands while Red Hot Chili Peppers played. His choice to not ride away was even more audacious. The Hollywood sign and Olympic rings tableau turned out to be a great finale. That’s how it looks. We will receive that.
And thus, at last, we witnessed the flame and its passage at the Stade. The flame can be compared, metaphorically, to that well-known village cooking pot that we never empty and that we constantly add to. Underneath, however, are molecules from the original recipe that date back many years.
The jaw of Baron de Coubertin is visible. Fanny Blankers-Koen has a slight grip. A garni of neo-classical 1930s fascism, amateurism, and cinder tracks. And now, on top of all of that, Los Angeles 2028, is being poured.
Los Angeles in 2028 will be radically altered. “We may not have the Eiffel Tower, but we are the global center of entertainment,” declared Michael Johnson, who seemingly had never witnessed the American Civil War. But Hollywood, IT behemoths, and Los Angeles itself will be its greatest assets.
One positive indication is that Casey Wasserman is leading the LA28 committee. Buck Flipburger and Remington Blazer-Epaulette III should be the names of American sports administrators. Reusing current infrastructure and the ambitious goal of making LA 2028 “car-free” is on the table for debate this week (good luck with that).
Another feature of Paris 2024 is that it was a game that paid for itself, eschewing wasteful spending and pointless legacy initiatives.”
