Swimmer Léon Marchand, who has been the standout sensation among French champions at these Olympic Games, was the main star at the beginning of the closing ceremony of Paris 2024 as he retrieved the flame from the Tuileries Garden, where it had been kept since July 26.

The grand farewell to the Paris Games, which is actually taking place at the Stade de France in front of about 71,500 spectators, began with a brief video recap of the most memorable moments from the opening ceremony and a musical number by French singer Zaho de Sagazan, accompanied by the Handel-Hendrix Academy choir.

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Together, they also performed the famous chords of 'Sous le ciel de Paris' in the Tuileries, a song written by Hubert Giraud and Jean Dréjac, originally recorded by Jean Bretonnière, but which has been interpreted over the years by French music icons like Édith Piaf.

However, it was when the image revealed Marchand, winner of four gold medals and one bronze at these Games, that the crowd at the Stade de France erupted in the first major round of applause of the evening.

The 22-year-old swimmer was tasked with retrieving the Olympic flame in a small lantern.

Meanwhile, at the Stade de France, standing on a large futuristic stage set up in the center of the field, were figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, and the president of the organizing committee for these Games, Tony Estanguet.

The ceremony will also serve as the moment for Paris to pass the torch to Los Angeles, the host city for the 2028 Games, for which Douglas Emhoff traveled to the French capital to attend the closing event.