US tops medal race as Olympics ends with closing ceremony

We’ve wrapped up our live coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Scroll through the posts below to relive the closing ceremony as it happened, or click on the “Catch Up” tab for a recap of key moments from the Summer Games.

Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles, waves the Olympic flag as Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee, and Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, applaud. 

History has been made at the closing ceremony, when the Olympic flag was passed from the first female mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, to Karen Bass, the first female mayor of Los Angeles, where the 2028 Olympics will be held.

The flag was handed from Hildago to Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, then on to Bass who received it to loud cheers.

Bass then walked to the side of the stage and handed the flag to US gymnast Simone Biles, who held it as the US national anthem played.

“I’m feeling extremely honored and privileged and responsible,” Bass said ahead of the ceremony. 

“Mayor Hidalgo is a wonderful example, and it’s going to be such an honor to me to receive the flag. And I hope that it sends a message to girls around the world that you can do anything,” she said.

“You can run. You can participate in the Olympics and you can run for office.”

Bass, who was elected in 2022, announced plans in July to seek reelection in 2026.

Actor Tom Cruise jumps from the roof of the Stade de France.

Well, the Olympic Games are about to go Hollywood, and Tom Cruise just gave them a taste of what that’s like.

The spotlight goes up to the top of the Stade de France and the Hollywood A-lister is standing on the roof of the stadium!

He’s lowered down to the arena floor on a cable and makes his way through the athletes to the stage, shaking hands all the way.

And for some reason there’s a motorcycle amid the athletes! Tom Cruise is absconding with the Olympic flag out of the stadium.

In a bit of movie magic, he’s apparently already 10 miles away in the middle of Paris, heading for a plane, according to the video that’s playing now. Through a little more montage, the plane has already flown him around the world to Los Angeles.

The camera zooms out from Cruise to show the Olympic rings now worked into the Hollywood sign.

Yes, all of that really just happened.

French indie rock band Phoenix performs during the closing ceremony.

After the athletes entered the Stade de France, and Thomas Jolly’s artistic vision was experienced by the watching world, the party truly got going with live music performed by artists that plenty in the audience would know without consulting Google.

French bands Phoenix and Air kicked off proceedings inside the stadium with an enthusiastic version of one of Phoenix’s biggest hits, “Lisztomania,” ringing around the stadium. In a show of unity between the current and next Olympic hosts, Phoenix would be joined by US indie rock mainstay Vampire Weekend.

But what about the promised Los Angeles artists of origin? Fear not, as part of the official handover between Paris and LA, a pitch-perfect rendition of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” was performed by H.E.R. as Simone Biles and LA Mayor Karen Bass watched on.

US singer H.E.R performs.

From here on in, let’s just say Hollywood took over. Tom Cruise rappelled down inside the stadium (soundtracked by H.E.R.’s guitar) and took the Olympic flag over to California via a variety of transportation methods and some movie magic. “By the Way” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers played in the background as Cruise rode a motorcycle out of the venue and into a montage — very American.

Then we were treated to a (possibly pre-taped) performance by the band on the beach playing another signature hit, “Can’t Stop.”

When RHCP did eventually stop, they passed the musical baton over to another Southern California native, Billie Eilish, who brought a much-needed moment of calm to the closing ceremony with “Birds of a Feather.”

And then, as if by magic, arguably the most-spotted man at these Paris Olympics who wasn’t actually competing, Snoop Dogg, had arrived back home, and took to the stage performing a medley of greatest hits, helped out by Dr. Dre.

If this was a taste of things to come for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, star-power is going to be on display, both inside and out of the sporting arena, live and on-screen.

Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, delivers a speech during the closing ceremony. 

While speaking at tonight’s closing ceremony, the head of the Paris Olympic organizing committee, Tony Estanguet, said the Summer Games matched records for audience size, attendance and decibel levels.

Additionally, Paris broke a very fitting record for the City of Love — it had the most marriage proposals at an Olympics, according to Estanguet.

After an exciting two-and-a-half weeks of competition, it’s time to say “au revoir” to the Paris Olympics.

The closing ceremony took place at the Stade de France.

Check out photos from the event:

Flagbearers from every country enter the Stade de France and walk onto the stage at the start of the ceremony.

Japanese athletes participate in the parade.

A Golden Voyager, inspired by references from French history, stands atop a pile of masked dancers as the last Olympic ring is raised above the stage.

The orchestra performs during the ceremony.

Alain Roche plays the piano while suspended from wires hanging from the stadium's roof.

French indie rock band Phoenix performs during the closing ceremony.

Actor Tom Cruise carries the Olympic flag on a motorcycle near the end of the ceremony.

See more of the best photos from the closing ceremony.

Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg — who had been a constant presence at the Paris Games — helped close out the ceremony with performances from the beach in Los Angeles, where the 2028 Olympic Games will be held.

The Chili Peppers performed their song, “Can’t Stop,” while Eilish performed “Birds of a Feather,” and Snoop a few of his classics, including “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”

People are now pouring out of the Paris stadium as the far-flung — and possibly pre-taped? — performances continue.

The stage is being set, quite literally, for the 2028 Games.

As we have a video interlude here, a dance circle has formed on the edge of the stadium floor and athletes are entertaining themselves with some moves.

The fans are loving it, with big cheers going up for each spin.

The breakdancers are going off — not content with just performing during the competition this weekend, they’re stealing the show tonight as well.

Read more about the new Olympic event — known in competitive circles simply as “breaking” — here:

Related article This sport is making its Olympics debut in Paris. Just don't call it breakdancing | CNN

Phoenix performs.

It took almost three songs, but the athletes are now fully cleared of the stage as Phoenix plays on.

Some of the athletes are taking this opportunity to take off for the exits, but the party goes on with French duo Air playing a tune.

Phoenix performs during the closing ceremony. 

French indie rock band Phoenix is now performing their song “Lisztomania,” and the athletes are just going to go ahead and ignore that request to get off the stage.

Some are just milling around the stage, but most are crowded right around the band, dancing to the music and waving their country’s flag.

It’s quite the visual, and it sort of seems like the organizers have decided to just let the athletes have their moment instead of forcing them off.

Athletes gather on stage.

Well, the closing ceremony is delayed a bit after the athletes got a little too excited and jumped onto the stage here at the Stade de France.

Performances are about to begin and a drum kit has been brought out. The athletes were clearly meant to be an audience next to the stage, but many of them have taken the opportunity to simply go straight up.

The public address announcer is asking them to get down and they are complying, but there’s hundreds of people on this stage currently.

Surely, this was not part of the show.

As we watch the closing ceremony, here are some things to know about the event:

We need a breather after just listing that!

A pianist plays during the closing ceremony.

A performer is playing the piano while suspended on wires hung from the Stade de France’s roof as another performer sings.

The piano is bouncing frequently on the wires, but it seems like it’s supposed to do that, as the performer keeps on going.

Dancers are now pushing giant Olympic rings into position as the piano player is lowered back into the stage.

The rings will be lifted up above the stage, and they are starting to rise now.

Dancers unearth giant Olympic rings.

The lights go down at the Stade de France.

The lights go out and another fantastic light display starts up as cellphone flashlights go on all around the stadium.

When they come back on, there is a golden figure floating down from the roof of the Stade de France.

The person lands at the center of the now-smoking stage, which is lit up, making it more obvious that it’s a mock-up of the global map.

A golden figure is lowered from the roof.

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, center, receives her gold medal for the women's marathon alongside silver medalist Ethiopian Tigst Assefa, left, and bronze winner Hellen Obiri of Kenya, right.

Well, what an unbeatable stage to accept your Olympic medal!

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands receives her gold for the women’s marathon, which she won this morning, inside a packed Stade de France.

She jumps on to the top step of the podium and punches her arms in the air. She smiles broadly as the Dutch national anthem plays out.

Ethiopian Tigst Assefa, who Hassan outlasted in the final 200 meters to take gold, collects her silver, while Kenya’s Hellen Obiri picks up her bronze medal.

US swimmer Katie Ledecky, serving as a flagbearer alongside Nick Mead, walks into the stadium during the closing ceremony.

American swimming icon Katie Ledecky is one of the US flagbearers at the closing ceremony going on now in Paris.

The four medals earned by Ledecky at these Games brought her career total to 14 in Olympic competition, and place her alone as the most decorated American female Olympian of all time.

Ledecky was mic’d up as she walked out in tonight’s parade, and NBC commentators asked her if she’d return to compete at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in four years to chase a 10th gold medal at age 31.

Ledecky also revealed that she has been soaking in more of the Olympic excitement and spirit in the French capital than she has in past years.

“This is my first Olympics where I stayed the second week, so I got to see basketball games, got to golf,” Ledecky told NBC. “I’ve met so many athletes from so many different sports, and I’ve just been cheering my head off whether I’m in person or on TV watching the last few things today. It’s been a lot of fun.”

With a stadium of 80,000 people and thousands of athletes gathering below, might as well do some karaoke.

“Freed From Desire” by Gala Razzatto is easily the crowd favorite, and all athletes and the crowd are jumping in unison — as they should, this track is an absolute banger.

Athletes from Canada enter the stadium.

It’s clearly time for the athletes to finally let out all the emotion of these Games.

They’re walking slowly around the stadium, encouraging the fans to dance and cheer, and the fans in the end of the stadium nearest to the tunnel are having a blast with each delegation.

The athletes seemed like they were supposed to take a path relatively close to the volunteers and flagbearers, but they have quickly eschewed that for a party with the people.

French athletes celebrate.

Flag bearers arrive on the pitch at the Stade de France.

The parade of flagbearers is making its way out of the tunnel and onto the sort of futuristic stage here at the Stade de France, which sort of resembles a flattened version of the Crag from 1990s Nickelodeon show “Guts.”

They’re making their way around the stadium to loud roars as they navigate the many crevices and valleys of this stage. The carpet seems to be tripping some people up, too, we observed on the broadcast.

Athletes carry flags at the Stade de France.

It’s a truly wonderful night here in Saint-Denis outside Paris. A hot day has turned into a breezy, comfortable night.

And now huge cheers for a parade of volunteers entering the arena from either end. They’ve been truly wonderful for the last two weeks and are getting their due applause.

There’s a list of all the Olympic flagbearers here.

Frenchmusician Zaho de Sagazan performs during the closing ceremony Sunday.

The closing ceremony is underway, with Zaho de Sagazan singing “Sous le Ciel de Paris,” which translates to “Under the Paris Sky.”

The song was first written for the 1951 film of the same name and was later recorded by Edith Piaf.

De Sagazan — who became more globally renowned after singing David Bowie’s “Modern Love” at the Cannes festival earlier this year — is performing at the National Estate of the Louvre in the Jardin des Tuileries

Now French swimming prodigy Léon Marchand, looking dapper in a black suit, is approaching the Olympic Cauldron. He’s been the hometown hero at these Games, winning four gold medals in the pool. The crowd inside Stade de France lets out a deafening cheer when he appears on large video screens showing the scenes outside.

French swimmer Léon Marchand arrives to receive the Olympic flame.