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The decision, which caused the International Olympic Committee to announce that Jordan’s bronze medal would be rescinded and awarded to Ana, 18, has been met by a lot of outcry—including from Jordan’s fellow Team USA gymnasts Simone, Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera and Jade Carey as well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.
Zaho de Sagazan
The singer-songwriter kicked off the closing ceremony with a performance of “Sous le Ciel de Paris.”
Leon Marchand
Team France’s star swimmer carried the torch from Paris’ Jardin des Tuileries to the Stade de France for the Closing Ceremony.
Nick Mead & Katie Ledecky
The gold medal-winning rower and the swimmer, who added four medals including two gold to her ever-growing list of Olympic accolades, served as Team USA’s flag bearers.
Tara Davis-Woodhall & Trinity Rodman
The gold medalists—Davis-Woodhall for long jump and Rodman for soccer—walk into the Stade de France alongside Team USA.
Tigst Assefa, Sifan Hassan & Hellen Obiri
The medal ceremony for the final track and field event of the 2024 Olympics, the women’s marathon, took place at the Closing Ceremony, with Team Netherlands’ Hassan winning gold, while Assefa of Team Ethiopia took home silver and Team Kenya runner Hellen Obiri won bronze.
Golden Voyager
A Golden Voyager descents into the Stade de France during the Closing Ceremony.
Alain Roche
The Suiss Pianist played “Hymn to Apollo” while suspended into the air at the Stade de France.
Stade de France
The pyrotechnics display inside the Stade de France after the assembly of the Olympic rings.
Phoenix
The French indie rock band serenaded the Olympians with hits like “1901” and “Lisztomania”
Simone Biles & Karen Bass
The gymnastics star had a special role during the Closing Ceremony, joining the Los Angeles mayor to welcome the Games to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics.
Tom Cruise
The Mission: Impossible star brought his stunt A-Game to the Closing Ceremony as he dropped into the Stade de France from the open roof.
Tom Cruise
But a freefall into the stadium wasn’t his only stunt as Simone and Karen handed him the Olympic flag to deliver to Los Angeles.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
As the Olympic flag touched down in the U.S.A., the rock group kicked off a trio of performances in Venice Beach.
Finneas & Billie Eilish
The siblings and longtime collaborators performed her hit “Birds of a Feather” as part of the Venice Beach concert welcoming the Olympics to Los Angeles in 2028.
Snoop Dogg
The 2024 Olympics Special Correspondent took on a second role during—rounding out the LA28 handoff.
Yseult
The French singer-songwriter performed the Frank Sinatra hit “My Way” to officially end the Closing Ceremony.
Stade de France
The 2024 Olympics officially concluded with a dazzling light show that lit up the Parisian sky.
