As the 2024 Paris Olympics comes to an end, these are some of the things to expect during the closing ceremony.
First off, the Olympics closing ceremony will officially start at 10: 00 pm local time at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France.
This is a stark difference from the open-air thrilling and perhaps partly controversial display during the opening ceremony in Seine River.
Without disclosing their identities, the Olympic committee revealed that more than 100 performers will feature during the closing ceremony at the Stade de France.
Among the performers expected are acrobats, dancers and circus artists. Artistic director Thomas Jolly who choreographed the opening ceremony will as well lead the closing ceremony.
Athletes who participated in the various games at the Olympics will be present as they parade their respective flags, in an event which will see the Olympic flag lowered to signify an end to the games.
Equally, a short handover ceremony will be done where the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo will hand over the Olympic flag to the mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass who is set to host the events next.
Another significant thing expected is the extinguishing of the Olympic flame and the subsequent lighting of the Paralympic flame to signify the start of the games from August 28- September 8, 2024.
Speculations are rife that Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers could perform during the event alongside the French bands, Phoenix and Air.
“Finally, the pressure will be off, and everyone will be able to take full advantage of the absolutely exceptional show that is being planned under the direction of Thomas Jolly, with the help of all the teams working across the four Paris 2024 ceremonies. Innovative, surprising and brilliant, these ceremonies already promise to be very powerful, just like “Records”, which has everything it takes to make a mark on the history of closing ceremonies,” President of Olympics 2024 Tony Estanguet said.
Kenyas Olympics medal tally
Kenya displayed an exemplary performance in the Olympic games after the country bagged a total of 11 medals across the various competitions.
Out of these, Kenya obtained four gold medals, two silver medals and five bronze medals.
This means Kenya was ranked position 17 worldwide and first in Africa. Some of the top countries in terms of their medal tally are China at position one with 39 gold medals, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals.
They are followed by the USA with a total of 122 medals broken down to 38 gold, 42 silver and 42 bronze. Other countries are Australia with a total of 50 medals, Japan with 43, France with 62, Britain with 63, Netherlands with 33 and South Korea with 30 among others.