After Tokyo Olympics shaken up by the Covid-19 health crisis, the competition has ended with a closing ceremony held this Sunday August 8 in the afternoon (CEST). A moment highly anticipated in France as the country will host the next Olympic Games 2024 in Paris.
The closing ceremony started with the entrance of the flags from the 206 delegations. Japanese singer Milet then performed a moving cover of Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’Amour” in Japanese and in French. A symphonic version of the Marseillaise also resounded in the Olympic stadium.
Even more spectacular, astronaut Thomas Pesquet appeared on the screens playing the last notes of the French hymn on the saxophone from the ISS with a flag hand-over from his Japanese counterpart Akihiko Hoshide to him.
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet plays the Marseillaise on the saxophone from space!
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) August 8, 2021
This is out of the world! 🌏🚀#Tokyo2020 #Olympics #ClosingCeremony
Live Updates: https://t.co/h2oNI0rH7d pic.twitter.com/WdR1DZ9ofs
The hand-over then happened in Tokyo from the city governor, Yuriko Koike, to IOC president Thomas Bach and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo who will then fly to bring the Olympic flag in France, 100 years after the city hosted the games.
Bravo et merci #Tokyo2020 ! En route pour #Paris2024 !@Tokyo2020 の開催、たくさんの感動をありがとうございました! @Paris2024 へ出発! pic.twitter.com/zJj7bTO7Iw
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) August 8, 2021
