Tom Cruise brings the rings to Los Angeles: The Olympic Games in Paris are over

At the end of the Olympic Games, things were mystical in the Stade de France: Under plenty of theatrical fog, a futuristically spiked golden dancer floated down onto the stage, laser beams shot their light into the endless expanse of the pitch-black sky. The scene of the golden space tourist was inspired by the “Voyager Golden Records”. The data disks that are attached to the Voyager space probes as greetings for extraterrestrials – if any aliens should get their hands on them one day, they will find plenty of information about the inhabitants of Earth there. On this evening, however, the space creature descended into the Paris stadium to unite the five rings. The symbol of the games, a metaphor for mankind and humanity.

“We are the Champions” to sing along to at the closing ceremony

Master of ceremonies Thomas Jolly, who had also designed the opening ceremony, summoned up the Olympic spirit at the end with drumbeats and fireworks. This time the athletes were the focus of the event, literally: Right at the start of the ceremony they ran back and forth into the stadium waving flags, over 9,000 athletes from 205 nations, a cheerful chaos. They were to stay there for the rest of the evening. This celebration was their party, there was “We are the Champions” to sing along to, a matter of honor, and of course the secret anthem of these games was also played: “Que je t’aime” by Johnny Hallyday.

Meanwhile, the magnificent scenes of the past few days flashed past on the screens – but it almost seemed as if Paris did not want to stop yet: The final award ceremony took place in the stadium, and the marathon runners Hellen Obiri (bronze), Tigst Assefa (silver) and Sifan Hassam (gold) were awarded. All of them highly decorated athletes, but when they received their Olympic medals, it was another moment that almost brought tears to your eyes.

Magical weeks are coming to an end in Paris. France dared a lot and won everything: for the first time, most of the competitions took place outside regular sports facilities. Many people had concerns about this, but it was the best idea ever. Fencing under the glass roof of the Grand Palais, breakdancing on the Place de la Concorde, archery in front of the Invalides, beach volleyball at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, swimming in the Seine – admittedly, the latter was perhaps not quite ideal, but it was a spectacle that everyone could watch. And the magic did not even lie in the magnificent backdrop. Paris is majestic and sophisticated at all times, but during the games an unusually tender warmth shimmered over the city. You didn’t need to buy tickets to experience this atmosphere. All you had to do was stroll across the Seine bridges or sit under a tree in the Tuileries Gardens and watch javelin throwing or relay races on a cell phone screen with people from all over the world, as if it were the most important thing in the world. And for a moment it was.

The Parisians had expected chaos – and got a lavish celebration

Most Parisians had expected unbearable chaos beforehand, at least. Instead, they got a lavish celebration. You could watch the games in expensive, upscale restaurants with a view of the Seine, for little money right next door on the fan mile at the Trocadero or on a terrace in the suburb of Saint-Denis; the whole city took part, it was beautiful everywhere – and no one, least of all the residents, had expected it. The French surprised themselves.

The country has become an Olympic host, said Tony Estanguet, head of the organizing committee, at the closing ceremony. He also recalled the seven public marriage proposals that had taken place in Paris, more than at any other Games before. The biggest applause, however, went to the 45,000 or so volunteers who had patiently and kindly escorted visitors through the metropolis on street corners and at metro stations. If things had hardly ever been tense in the past two weeks, that was mainly thanks to them.

After the mysterious introduction, the closing ceremony switched to festival mode; it was evident that the decision was not to make too much of a fuss in the stadium. Phoenix played on the jagged stage, also a bit old, but stage diving went smoothly. When the band Air started their hit “Playground Love”, some of the athletes had to sit down on the floor inside for a moment – overall, the pop music “French Touch” didn’t seem to get everyone excited, but the crowd in the stands celebrated all the more.

Tom Cruise jumped from the roof

At around half past eleven, what everyone had been waiting for finally happened. Californian singer Gabriella Wilson, alias HER, had just belted out the American national anthem wearing sunglasses and an electric guitar when he appeared on the roof of the stadium. No, not Emmanuel Macron. He was there too, but didn’t give a speech. It was Tom Cruise, who showed that even at 62, he’s not too old for stunts. He jumped into the depths on a rope and with him, the aesthetics of the USA were also on. Collars up and on the motorbike – a short time later, the Olympic flag roared off to its next destination with the American superstar: “Hollywoooood”. The famous sign in the Hollywood Hills lit up, decorated with five rings.

In Los Angeles, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played on the beach, Billie Eilish sang and – of course – Snoop Dog, the omnipresent and always excellently dressed mascot of Paris. At midnight, IOC President Thomas Bach declared the Olympic Games over, after adding a remarkable play on words: “Seine-sational” that was all. Los Angeles 2028 can come.

A sadness hung over Paris that night. But that’s how it should be after a successful celebration. Compared to , the closing ceremony was almost conventional – the stadium had sparkled like a gigantic birthday cake, but that was just right. In France, people are filled with joy at the collective achievement, with the certainty of having given the major event its own special shine. The Olympic spirit will stay in the city for a while longer – the Paralympic Games begin on August 28th.