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As the curtain fell on the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, the city bid a spectacular „Au Revoir“ to an event that had captivated the world for over two weeks. The closing ceremony, a dazzling celebration of sport and culture, took place at the Stade de France and was accompanied by the cheers of over 70,000 spectators, more than 8,000 athletes from 206 delegations and 270 artists. The evening was crowned with performances by international stars such as Phoenix, AIR, Angele and Alain Roche, who enchanted the audience with a performance on a floating piano.
Medal table: A global exhibition of excellence
The United States once again demonstrated its sporting superiority by topping the medal table for the fourth year in a row, collecting an impressive 126 medals. Close behind was China with a commendable 91 medals, followed by Japan with 45. Host country France also put in a strong performance, delighting the home crowd with 64 medals.
Top 10 in the medal table of the Olympic Games Paris 2024:
- United States : 126 (Gold: 40, Silver: 44, Bronze: 42)
- China : 91 (Gold: 40, Silver: 27, Bronze: 24)
- Japan : 45 (Gold: 20, Silver: 12, Bronze: 13)
- Australia : 53 (Gold: 18, Silver: 19, Bronze: 16)
- France : 64 (Gold: 16, Silver: 26, Bronze: 22)
- Great Britain : 65 (Gold: 14, Silver: 22, Bronze: 29)
- Netherlands : 34 (Gold: 15, Silver: 7, Bronze: 12)
- South Korea : 32 (Gold: 13, Silver: 9, Bronze: 10)
- Italy : 40 (Gold: 12, Silver: 13, Bronze: 15)
- Germany : 33 (Gold: 12, Silver: 13, Bronze: 8)
Top athletes: The stars of the games
The Paris Games were brightened by the outstanding performances of several athletes who not only reached the top of their disciplines, but also set new records and delighted spectators:
- Léon Marchand (France, swimming) : 4 gold, 1 bronze
- Torri Huske (USA, swimming) : 3 gold, 2 silver
- Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia, swimming) : 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
- Simone Biles (USA, artistic gymnastics) : 3 gold
- Summer McIntosh (Canada, swimming) : 3 gold, 1 silver
- Souya Oka (Japan, artistic gymnastics) : 3 gold, 1 bronze
- Grant Thomas (USA, Athletics) : 3 Gold
- Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands, track cycling) : 3 gold
- Woo-jin Kim (South Korea, archery) : 3 gold
- Su-hyun Lim (South Korea, archery) : 3 gold
- Lisa Carrington (New Zealand, canoe sprint) : 3 gold
- Regan Smith (USA, swimming) : 2 gold, 3 silver
- Ariarne Titmus (Australia, swimming) : 2 gold, 2 silver
- Gabby Walsh (USA, swimming) : 2 gold, 2 silver
- Kate Douglass (USA, swimming) : 2 gold, 2 silver
- Kaylee McKeown (Australia, swimming) : 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
Hollywood glamour and symbolic handover
Tom Cruise’s dramatic descent into the stadium, mimicking a scene from Mission Impossible, kicked off the symbolic handover of the Olympic flag to Los Angeles, signaling its transition to the next host city of the 2028 Summer Olympics. This action was followed by a performance by stars such as Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, who set the bar high for the LA Games.
A call for peace amid the celebrations
IOC President Thomas Bach’s stirring speech underlined the need for a „culture of peace“ in today’s turbulent times. He stressed the role of the Olympic Games in promoting a global culture of peace and unity, a sentiment that resonated deeply with the international audience.
Outlook on Los Angeles 2028
With the handover of responsibility to Los Angeles, the evening ended with promises of an even more spectacular event in 2028. The transition marked not only the end of Paris’s role as host, but also the beginning of the next chapter in Olympic history.
With the standard of elegance and sporting excellence set by Paris, the world now looks forward to what Los Angeles will add to the Olympic legacy. The 2024 Games will be remembered for their celebration of the human spirit and sporting excellence, echoing through the ages as a testament to the unifying power of sport.