Hollywood actor Tom Cruise abseiled from the roof of the Stade de France as Paris bid farewell to the Olympic Games considered one of the most successful ever.
Cruise swooped down a wire fence in front of 71,500 spectators Sunday night, grabbed the Olympic flag and jumped onto a motorcycle, to the delight of athletes and fans.
In a sneak peek of what the world can expect when the games head to Los Angeles in 2028, the “Mission: Impossible” star was shown boarding a plane and skydiving over the California city before adorning the iconic Hollywood sign with the Olympic rings.
The Los Angeles band Red Hot Chili Peppers, singer Billie Eilish and rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre then performed a mini concert on a beach framed by the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The closing show marked the beginning of the four-year countdown to the Los Angeles Games. Iconic American gymnast Simone Biles joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during the formal handover of the Olympic flag.
Earlier, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said the Paris Games had been “sport at its finest”.
“It was a sensational Olympic Games from start to finish,” Bach said. “Or dare I say it: Sen-ational Games,” the IOC chief joked, making a pun on the river that runs through Paris and was the scene of the opening ceremony.
“Dear French friends, you have fallen in love with the Olympic Games. And we have fallen in love with all of you,” Bach added.
Some 9,000 athletes flocked to the stadium to be entertained by 270 performers and artists in a ceremony billed as a celebration of humanity and the unifying power of sport.
“We knew you would be brilliant, but you were magical,” Paris 2024 head of organisation Tony Estanguet told the athletes. “You made us happy, you made us feel alive; the world needed this moment so much.”
