France Bids Reluctant Farewell To Dazzling Paris Olympics 2024
France bid a reluctant farewell on Monday to an "enchanted" fortnight of Olympic sport as athletes headed home from Paris praising a dazzling edition of the Games that has breathed new life into the biggest show on earth. Hollywood star Tom Cruise delivered stardust at the closing ceremony on Sunday evening -- and a link with the next Games in Los Angeles -- by abseiling into the national stadium. The "Mission Impossible" star descended on a wire in front of 71,500 spectators, grabbed the Olympic flag and jumped onto a motorbike, to the delight of thousands of dancing athletes and awe-struck fans. The final act of the Paris Olympics brought relief that an event foreshadowed by worries about terror attacks, strikes or protests had passed off with barely a hitch.
