PARIS: The closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics started on Sunday night, a planned show of almost three hours in the Stade de France which includes the handover to the next Games 2028 in Los Angeles.
French swimming sensation Léon Marchard, symbolically started to move from the Olympic cauldron at Tuileries gardens to the stadium where it was to be extinguished later.
Some 270 performers were scheduled to dazzle the stadium crowd and billions more around the world via TV and livestreams at the end of the Games which opened on July 26.
Acts were to include Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chillie Peppers and Snoop Dogg.
The athletes' parade was not by country but in a mix of nations, with flag bearers including French rugby hero Antoine Dupont, American swimmer Katie Ledecky and British triathlete Alex Yee.
Also included is the victory ceremony for the women's marathon, won by Dutch Sifan Hassan, 36 hours after a 10,000m bronze and seven days after a 5,000m bronze as well.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach was to officially close the Games, his last as he will step down next year.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo was to hand over to her LA counterpart, Karen Bass.
