Hollywood star Tom Cruise made a dramatic descent from the roof of the Stade de France in Paris, grabbed the Olympic flag, and then sped off with it, bringing a touch of Hollywood to the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics. This symbolic handover kicked off the countdown to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
As Cruise leaped from 50 meters high, the theme music from “Mission: Impossible” played, leaving the audience in awe. After landing, Cruise high-fived athletes and received the Olympic flag from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accompanied by American gymnast Simone Biles.
Cruise then disappeared below the stage and reappeared riding a motorcycle, with the Olympic flag trailing behind, exiting amidst cheers from the stadium audience. The closing ceremony then transitioned to a pre-recorded video of Cruise parachuting to Hollywood landmarks, showcasing the Olympic rings merging with famous Los Angeles landmarks.
Subsequently, the flag was passed by past and present American Olympic athletes, weaving through the city of Los Angeles, and culminating at the beach party.
Paris captivated Olympic athletes and spectators with iconic buildings like the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, while Los Angeles focused on its celebrity appeal.
Throughout the two-week Paris Olympics sports events, the USA and China had been neck and neck in the medal standings until the final competition. Ultimately, the American team clinched the last gold medal of the Olympics by a one-point victory over France in the women’s basketball final, tying with China at 40 gold medals. With a significant advantage in silver medal count, the U.S. secured the top spot on the gold medal tally for this Olympics.
Simone Biles put her Tokyo Olympics struggles behind her, returning to the Olympics in front of a star-studded audience and winning three gold medals.
France also had impressive performances in this Olympics. Swimmer Leon Marchand became the king of the pool, followed by judo athlete Teddy Riner claiming his fifth Olympic gold medal, dominating the competition.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged the high standards set for hosting the 2028 Olympics, but emphasized that Los Angeles prides itself on being a beacon of diversity, with Hollywood as its backbone.
“They (Los Angeles) have very high standards to meet. There’s a lot of work to be done,” said 59-year-old former banker James Rutledge, sporting a Team USA t-shirt outside Stade de France. “Next up is Hollywood? That’s worth a shot.”
(Adapted from a report by Reuters)