Tom Cruise jumped from a height of 46 m at the Olympic closing ceremony
American actor Tom Cruise made a dramatic 46-meter jump from a rooftop, reenacting the symbolic handover of the Olympics from Paris to Los Angeles on the evening of August 11. The 62-year-old star, equipped with safety gear, leaped from the roof of Stade de Paris. After his daring jump, he met Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and American gymnast Simone Biles, receiving the Olympic flag from them.
Following the jump, pre-recorded footage played on the screen, showing Tom Cruise riding a motorcycle through the streets of Paris, zooming past the Arc de Triomphe. He then boarded a plane, declaring, “I’m on my way.” The actor reappeared at the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, where he handed the flag to mountain biker Kate Courtney. Courtney passed it on to sprinter Michael Johnson, who then gave it to skateboarder Jagger Eaton.
Fans on social media platform X praised Cruise’s appearance as “incredible,” “like a Hollywood movie,” and “pure Hollywood style.” Contrary to earlier reports, the actor did not use a stunt double for the performance.
The official Olympic social media account posted a photo of Cruise, captioning it, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to bring the Olympic flag to Los Angeles,” a nod to the iconic line from “Mission: Impossible.”
In addition to Tom Cruise, numerous American artists participated in the event. The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed “Can’t Stop,” Billie Eilish sang “Birds of a Feather,” Snoop Dogg rapped “The One and Only,” and H.E.R. performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Several artists from the host country delivered emotional performances. Yseult sang the famous French version of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” and Benjamin Bernheim performed “Hymn to Apollo” with a piano accompaniment.
The three-and-a-half-hour program featured various performances celebrating French culture. Unlike the opening ceremony, the closing event enjoyed smooth proceedings thanks to favorable weather. According to NBC, thousands of people without tickets gathered outside the stadium, watching the event on large screens.
The Paris 2024 Olympics marked the 33rd Summer Games, held from July 26 to August 11. The event brought together 10,714 athletes from 206 delegations, competing in 32 sports with 329 events. Vietnam was represented by 16 athletes competing in 19 events, aiming for at least one medal.
On the final day of competition, the U.S. tied with China at 40 gold medals but secured the top spot on the leaderboard by winning more silver medals (44 compared to 27). They also led in bronze medals (42-24). For the first time in Olympic history, the top two teams finished with the same number of gold medals. Japan came in third, earning numerous medals in wrestling, judo, and gymnastics. The U.S. has topped the medal table in seven of the last eight Olympics, with the only exception being the 2008 Beijing Games.
