We’ve picked up where we left off just over two weeks ago: At the hot-air balloon cauldron, lit by torchbearers at the opening ceremony. It's returned to earth, the faux fire still burning.
This time, the tone is somewhat solemn, with French singer Zaho de Sagazan, and a choir dressed in all black, gathered round the cauldron singing "Sous le ciel de Paris."
At a pillar nearby, French swimming superstar Léon Marchand picks up a lantern holding a small flame. We’re taken to the Stade France, the country’s national stadium located north of Paris, which has transformed from a site of Olympic track and rugby events into a concert hall. The tempo picks up with a livelier orchestral set.
Before 71,000 spectators, the entrance of the flags has begun, with the parade of athletes from 205 delegations marching along a stage that looks like an avant-garde interpretation of an Olympic medal, Eiffel Tower pieces and all. (In fact, organizers say, it’s meant to symbolize a planisphere — those flat, rotating celestial maps.)
For the U.S., Katie Ledecky and rower Nick Mead are among the circle of flag bearers. Bronze-medalist pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis and artistic swimmer Evangelia Platanioti are seen waving the Greece flag.
Team USA and Team China stand next to each other, both singing “We Are The Champions” after tying in the gold medal count.
A ceremony for the medalists of the women’s marathon that concluded on Sunday — the first time the women's race has closed the Olympic Games — celebrates Dutch runner Sifan Hassan at the top of the podium. She won with an Olympic record time of 2:22:55. That’s after already clinching two bronze medals in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter race.
The crew dressed in teal-colored uniforms are the volunteers who ran the show behind the scenes — they combed the sand at the beach volleyball matches, swept the sweat from the basketball courts, and removed the hurdles from the Stade de France track.
The stadium darkens, with a mysterious gold creature rappelling from the sky — artistic director Thomas Jolly's so-named "The Golden Voyager" — propels the show into a science fiction world without an Olympics Games.
Our original story continues below:
It's hard to believe it’s only been just over two weeks since Celine Dion serenaded us at the opening ceremony. After the historic stretch of Olympic competition that followed, it’s time to wrap it all up.
And historic it was. The Summer Games made novel use of the country’s iconic venues (the Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais and The Palace of Versailles to name just a few).
Meanwhile, American swimmer Katie Ledecky, who added four more medals to her overall total of 14, became the most decorated female Olympian, while Léon Marchand showed the world he’s swimming’s next big thing. U.S. gymnasts, led by Simone Biles, got their redemption, and St. Lucia won its first ever medal — in the fastest track event no less.
The Paris Games weren't without controversy. An Olympics billed to be a gender inclusive games saw the targeting of female Algerian boxer Imane Khelif over her gender. In Paris, buoyed by fan support that outshouted the online attacks she faced, she went on to win gold. And, after a huge investment in cleaning up the Seine, the question of the waters’ daily safety kept swimmers on their toes.
What to expect for the closing ceremony
The closing ceremony this year will transform Stade de France, the country’s national stadium located north of Paris, from a site of Olympic track and rugby events into a concert hall.
The show, titled “Records,” promises not to be dull, as Thomas Jolly — the artistic director behind the unexpected, sweeping opening ceremony — is also running this show. It will feature “over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists,” according to organizers.
Paris hands off to 2028 Summer Games host Los Angeles
Traditional programming highlights will include the parade of flags — with Paris superstars swimmer Katie Ledecky and rower Nick Mead as the U.S. flag bearers — and the handover of the Olympic flag to the next host city for the Summer Games, Los Angeles.
French bands Air and Phoenix are reportedly on the lineup, but the closing bash will also look forward. L.A.-based musical acts will include Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and rapper (and NBC Olympics correspondent) Snoop Dogg. Grammy-winning artist H.E.R. is due to perform the U.S. national anthem.
Continuing with the theme, Tom Cruise — known for doing his own stunt work in the Mission Impossible films — is reportedly expected to perform some kind of pre-taped aerial stunt involving the Hollywood sign (and perhaps even more in Paris).
How to watch
You can watch the closing ceremony on NBC or stream it on Peacock starting at noon PT (9 p.m. Paris time) on Sunday, Aug. 11. The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and NBC sports commentator Mike Tirico will co-host NBC coverage of the event.
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