The Olympic Games in Paris, which began unconventionally on the beautiful Seine River, has ended.
The closing ceremony capped two and a half extraordinary weeks of Olympic sports with a star-studded show at Stade de France, mixing unbridled celebration with a sombre call for peace from IOC President Thomas Bach.
The Games witnessed some extraordinary athletic display -- nearly 850 medals won, 10 world records and 32 Olympic records were broken.
More than 71,000 spectators and millions tuned in to watch the mega event.
The closing ceremony had several musical performances as the Olympic flame travelled from the Louvre to the Stade de France. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo handed over hosting duties to her Los Angeles counterpart Karen Bass. LA will host the Games in 2028. Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish and Red Hot Chili Peppers performed from a California beachside during the handover to the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Grammy award-winning H.E.R. sang the U.S. national anthem and Tom Cruise wowed the athletes and viewers alike with his performance.
As the Olympic flame was extinguished to mark the end of the 33rd edition of the Games, all eyes are on the Paralympic Games, which will start on the August 28.
