The Paris Olympics have drawn to a close, marking the handoff to Los Angeles, which will host the next Summer Games in four years.
The closing ceremony began on Sunday at the Stade de France, the Games’ venue for rugby and athletics.
Flag-bearers for countries and territories that sent delegations entered the stadium first, followed by a parade of the other Olympians.
The Japanese flag was carried by javelin thrower Kitaguchi Haruka and breaker Nakarai Shigeyuki.
Kitaguchi won her country’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s athletics in an event other than the marathon.
Nakarai, who goes by the dancer name of Shigekix, placed fourth in men’s breaking at the Games. The urban-dance style competition was added to the Paris Olympics program as a new sport.
The ceremony showed a video of the Games’ highlights. It also featured a medal ceremony for the women’s marathon. The men’s marathon is normally featured in the final ceremony. The Paris Olympics was the first to show the women’s medal event instead.
The closing ceremony also served as the official handover of the Olympic flag to Los Angeles, which will host the Summer Games in 2028.
Spectators roared in delight when Hollywood star Tom Cruise performed a stunt jump off the stadium’s roof onto the arena floor.
French swimmer Leon Marchand, who claimed four gold medals at Paris, entered the venue carrying a small lantern containing the Olympic flame.
He blew it out when International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach declared the 17-day Games over.
The Paris Paralympics will open on August 28.