After speeches and festivities, it was time for the traditional handover of the flag from Paris to Los Angeles, which will host the Olympic Games 2028.
But before that, OS chief Tony Estanguet mentioned that it's not just athletic records that have been broken during the Olympic Games. According to him, Paris, known as the city of love, has also seen the most proposals ever during an Olympic Games.
According to ABC News, no fewer than seven athletes have gotten engaged during the games. Among them are the two French sailors Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon, who were both proposed to by their respective partners after winning bronze.
Then, what many had been waiting for got underway.
To the tunes of the US national anthem, performed by R'n'B artist H E R, Tom Cruise appeared on the roof, from where he celebrated himself in true "Mission Impossible" style. Then followed an equally action-packed performance where Cruise – with the Olympic flag held high – rode a motorcycle through the audience all the way into a plane.
The TV broadcast cut to a video montage showing Cruise parachuting from the plane, landing in Los Angeles, and, after some climbing, managing to attach the traditional five Olympic rings to the iconic Hollywood sign above the city. Afterwards, performers such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, and Snoop Dogg – all born in Los Angeles – took the stage.
Earlier in the evening, judoka Tara Babulfath and sailor Anton Dahlberg had represented Sweden by carrying the Swedish flag into the French national arena before the closing ceremony. Both won bronze during the games in Paris.
