SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — The 2024 Olympics are drawing to a close Sunday with an elaborate closing ceremony at the Stade de France just north of Paris.
It’s a more traditional setting after the Seine River was used for the audacious opening ceremony, but don’t expect it to be dull. There’ll be over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists, the organizers say.
The closing ceremony is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. CEST (3 p.m. EDT), and is expected to last until 11:15 p.m. CEST (5:15 p.m. EDT). Watch the action live on NBC or stream it on the Peacock app.
U.S. wins women’s basketball, ties China for most gold medals
The U.S. beat host France in the women’s basketball final, the final event of the 2024 Paris Olympics, tying China for the most gold medals.
The Americans beating France 67-66 a much-tighter-than-expected game made it 40 golds and and 126 total medals. China won 91 overall, Britain 65 and France 64.
A man was seen climbing the Eiffel Tower, prompting an evacuation hours before closing ceremony
French police have evacuated the area around the Eiffel Tower after a man was seen climbing the Paris landmark hours before the Olympics closing ceremony Sunday.
The shirtless man was seen scaling the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tall tower in the afternoon. It’s unclear where he began his ascent, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings adorning the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck.
Police escorted visitors away from the area around 3 p.m. Some visitors who were briefly locked on the second floor were allowed to exit around 30 minutes later.
The Eiffel Tower was a centerpiece of the opening ceremony, with Celine Dion serenading the city from one of its viewing areas. The Tower is not expected to be part of the closing ceremony, which was set to begin at Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis at 9 p.m.
▶ Read more about the incident
Paris Olympics Memorable Moments: Simone Biles was the star but the spotlight reached many faces
All eyes were on Simone Biles as she won four medals, but the spotlight was bright enough to highlight new names, new faces and some unlikely new stars. The Paris Games will be remembered for breathtaking venues, unprecedented accessibility and Snoop Dogg taking a starring role in NBC’s record-smashing coverage.
Paris introduced the world to “The Pommel Horse Guy” and “The Real John Wick” and a meme-making performance by an Australian professor in the Olympic debut of breaking.
French swimmer Léon Marchand delivered in his home Olympics with a Michael Phelps-like performance, winning five medals, four of them gold. Ilona Maher angled for a shot on reality TV show “Love Island” after leading the United States to a heart-stopping late victory that gave the U.S. its first ever a medal, a bronze, in rugby sevens.
The United States won the medal count — 121 of them headed into Sunday’s final day of competition, 37 of them gold — and the Americans again prevailed in men’s basketball and women’s soccer.
▶ Read more about some of the top moments of the Paris Olympics.
What to expect from the Paris Olympics closing ceremony
The ceremony will feature traditional highlights, including the athletes’ parade and the handover of the Olympic flag to the organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
H.E.R., the five-time Grammy winner, is expected to sing the U.S. national anthem live at the Stade de France as part of the handover. There will be a medal presentation ceremony — for the women’s marathon from earlier in the day.
The Stade de France is more traditional setting after the Seine River was used for the audacious opening ceremony, but don’t expect it to be dull. It features the same artistic director — Thomas Jolly.
Organizers said in a recent statement that it will include “over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists.”
The action is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. CEST (3 p.m. EDT), and is expected to last until 11:15 p.m. CEST (5:15 p.m. EDT). It will air on NBC and the Peacock app.
▶ Read the AP’s guide to watching the closing ceremony
