During the 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony, Simone Biles helped Paris hand over the games to Los Angeles for 2028 alongside Tom Cruise and L.A. mayor Karen Bass.

Simone Biles wasn’t among the Team USA members who walked in the Closing Ceremony procession.

That’s because the gymnastics star had a different role to play as the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close on Aug. 11: helping Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass kick off the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. During the event, which saw France pay tribute to Olympics history and the top women’s marathon runners become the final 2024 Paris athletes to be awarded their medals, Simone and Karen took the stage alongside Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and President of the Paris Organising Committee Tony Estanguet to receive the Olympic flag.

However, Simone’s role was just the beginning of the LA28 kickoff as H.E.R.’s National Anthem performance ended with Tom Cruise leap into the Stade de France, where the ceremony was taking place, and take the flag and chaperone it to its new home in Los Angeles. the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre further welcomed the Olympics to L.A. before an emotional finale in Paris.

Of course, Simone’s special appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony comes amid controversy in Olympic gymnastics.

On Aug. 10, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reversed the inquiry that led to Simone’s teammate Jordan Chiles earning the bronze medal in the floor routine, saying Jordan’s coach Cecile Landi didn’t submit her appeal withing the one minute parameter—instead lodging it at one minute and four seconds—leading to the International Gymnastics Federation restoring the original ranking from the Aug. 5 competition.

(ICYMI: Romania’s Ana Barbosu had been in the third position before Cecile submitted a successful appeal over the Jordan’s routine difficulty that boosted the 27-year-old’s score from 13.666, to 13.766—just over Ana’s 13.700.)

The decision, which caused the International Olympic Committee to announce that Jordan’s bronze medal would be rescinded and awarded to Ana, 18, has been met by a lot of outcry—including from Jordan’s fellow Team USA gymnasts Simone, Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera and Jade Carey as well as Aly Raisman. Ana herself weighed in on the situation.

Still, the matter isn’t over yet as USA Gymnastics has since appealed the ruling and submitted evidence suggesting Cecile had spoken to Olympic officials within the one minute margin and did not violate the rules.

But while one aspect of the 2024 Paris Olympics hasn’t come to an end just yet, keep reading to see all the highlights from the Closing Ceremony.

PARIS (AP) — Simone Biles stole the show at the Paris Olympics with a captivating comeback that had everyone watching everything she did both in and out of the gymnasium.

All eyes were on 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.

Noah Lyles was crowned the fastest man in the world for winning the 100 meters, but after he finished third in the 200 — his first loss in his favorite event since the Tokyo Olympics three years ago — he revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19. Sha’Carri Richardson chased down two competitors in the rain to end her first Olympics with a relay gold after settling for silver in the 100.

The United States won the medal count — 126 in total and the women’s basketball team closed the Games by winning gold to tie China with an Olympic-best 40. The Americans again prevailed in both men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s soccer, too.

Biles soared to gold

Biles returned to the Olympics three years after she pulled out of multiple events at the Tokyo Games for mental health reasons and won four medals, three of them gold.

She was the most popular attraction in Paris and competed in front of celebrity-packed crowds. Those who couldn’t sit in the stands with Tom Cruise, Spike Lee, Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga tuned in from afar as NBC said 34.7 million viewers across its platforms watched Biles lead the United States to team gold.

Next up for the greatest gymnast in Olympic history is a 30-stop “Gold Over America Tour” for the GOAT.

Swimming struggles

Nine days of competition wrapped up with the Americans barely pulling off the lead in the gold-medal standings in swimming, needing a victory in the last race of the Olympics to do so.

The U.S. finished with just eight golds, its fewest since the 1988 Seoul Games and one ahead of its biggest rival, Australia.

“It’s one of the worst performances in history as a U.S. team,” said Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever.

The rest of the world totaled more victories (20) than the United States and Australia combined, the first time that’s happened since the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The 34 medals and 14 golds for the Americans were their best showing in track and field in a non-boycotted Games since the early 20th century, when there were more events and fewer countries.