Paris, Aug 11 (PTI) The gigantic Stade de France resembled a concert hall hosting a party to celebrate the fortnight of sporting excellence as the breathtaking closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics kicked off with athletes marching into the iconic stadium to a thunderous applause here on Sunday.
While the nearly four-hour-long innovative opening ceremony held on the River Seine had showcased the architectural wonders of the city and the country’s rich heritage, the closing ceremony was equally enchanting, watched by close to 75,000 fans.
The two-hour-long show, created by Thomas Jolly, began with a musical ode to the Games’ host city, with French singer Zaho de Sagazan singing the famous ‘Sous le ciel de Paris’.
The flag-bearers of each of the 205 delegations entered the gigantic Stade de France and assembled on a stage in the centre of the stadium, which symbolically represented a planisphere, while the athletes joined the parade.
Over the past two weeks, 10,714 athletes descended on Paris to compete for medals in this global showpiece. The United States led the medal tally with 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze, closely followed by China, which also secured 40 golds but with fewer silver and bronze medals.
The ceremony, titled “Records” by the organisers, will feature performances by major names in American music, including Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and H.E.R.
With the next Olympics scheduled for Los Angeles in four years, the organizers have ensured a fair sprinkling of artists who are native to the state of California, with Grammy-winning H.E.R. expected to perform the U.S. national anthem live.
The closing ceremony will also include the ceremonial extinguishing of the Olympic Flame and the handing over of the Olympic Flag to the Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee, marking the transition to the next Summer Games.
India, which was represented by 117 athletes, including 47 women, in the sporting spectacle, is being represented at the Parade of Nations by two-time Olympic medallists PR Sreejesh (hockey) and Manu Bhaker (shooting).
India concluded its campaign with six medals — one fewer than at the Tokyo Games — with Manu securing bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and in the 10m air pistol mixed team event alongside Sarabjot Singh, becoming the first post-independence athlete to win two medals.
Goalkeeper Sreejesh, who has donned the India jersey on the hockey field for nearly two decades and played a pivotal role in winning back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, has been given the honour to be the joint flag-bearer for his remarkable contribution over the years.
Manu and her personal coach Jaspal Rana have been especially flown back to Paris for the ceremony after they had returned to India following the completion of the shooting events a week ago.
