Who is closing the olympic ceremony

They cheered on the kids competing in the Olympics, like year-old U. They cheered on age-defying athletes , too, like U. These were the Games where a Belarusian sprinter defied her country's authoritarian leader by criticizing her coaches , escaped the handlers trying to send her home at a Tokyo-area airport, and found sanctuary in Poland.

Other female athletes stood up — or took a knee — for Black Lives Matter and MeToo, and rebelled against having to compete in revealing outfits. The Games opened to protests in Tokyo and broad opposition from the Japanese people, who feared an influx of athletes from abroad would worsen the Covid crisis at home, but who were nevertheless welcoming to the thousands of visitors in their midst.

There were Olympic displays of kindness and class — runners Isaiah Jewett of the U. But there was also the Olympic meltdown of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic smashing his racket in frustration after he failed to medal and blew his chance of becoming the first man to win the Golden Slam — four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Algerian judo competitor Fethi Nourine defied the Olympic ideal by withdrawing from competition rather than fight an Israeli. And in what could be an Olympic first, a coach with the German modern pentathlon team was kicked out of the Games for punching a horse that balked at jumping. Just three weeks ago, the Tokyo Games appeared to be imploding. Key members of the Tokyo organizing committee were knocked out by scandal.

The passing of the hosting baton will be split between the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo and a public party and concert in Paris. Athletes walk across the field during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games, on Aug. Athletes carry their nations' flags to the field of play during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games, on Aug. Following the flag handover, an artistic segment dedicated to the next host city begins.

Then, a flag of the Paris Olympics will unfold on the side of the Eiffel Tower. Bach and World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe presented the medals and accompanying flowers to the women's marathon medalists. At the Closing Ceremony, event organizers are making a point to honor both the field and city cast that helped facilitate the Tokyo Olympics.

The field cast provided support in areas including spectator services, competition operations and media operations. The city cast worked in airports, major stations in Tokyo and other facilities to ensure that travel ran smoothly. This serves as a link between the Games of the past and those of the modern era.

They will present a gift to representatives of the volunteers, which is a tribute to their service during the Olympics. Eight volunteers — six field cast and two city cast — will represent the larger group. They will receive flower bouquets identical to those presented to athletes at medal ceremonies. The bouquets feature a miniature version of the Tokyo Olympics mascot, Miraitowa. That will be followed by a nine-minute sequence of dances that focus on different parts of Japan.

COVID restrictions forced a bulk of Games participants to leave Tokyo prior to the closing ceremony, but a surprising number stuck around and are at Olympic Stadium tonight. A fun combination of classical music with a modern-day feel has the athletes in a good mood as they congregate on the turf. All of them have their cell phones out to take video and snap pictures with their friends from their own country and abroad.

The U. And yes, some athletes are shirtless. The national flag of Japan will be carried into the stadium by six people — four athletes, one person with an impairment and one healthcare worker. This format was also used during the opening ceremony. The stadium was then transformed into a gigantic nightclub, as DJ Kto hosted a lively after-party with fireworks exploding overhead.

Watch the full London Closing Ceremony here. The festivities were brought to a close by English rock band The Who, who performed a medley of their greatest hits while the athletes danced enthusiastically in the centre of the stage. Watch the full Vancouver Closing Ceremony here. Various Canadian singers and groups then took to the two stages at opposite ends of the arena, while the Olympic athletes partied the night away.

In contrast with the Opening Ceremony, the show that brought the curtain down on the Beijing Games two weeks later was light, full of joy and amusing.