Record-busting Aussies say au revoir to great Olympics

AUSTRALIA’S triumphant athletes were left revelling in the Stade de France, as Paris bid au revoir to its magnificent Olympic Games.

Paris has brought down the curtain on its wonderful Olympic Games as Australia’s record-breaking team descended in force on the Stade de France to deservedly revel one last time in a celebratory closing ceremony on Sunday night Paris time.

A huge contingent from the squad who will be bringing home a record 18 gold medals, the fourth-highest tally of any nation at the Games, turned out to dance the night away as Paris handed over hosting duties to Los Angeles in 2028.

The Australian athletes were led by their flagbearers, the 28-year-old repeat champion sailor Matt Wearn, who’d achieved his victory in the Marseille regatta, and double gold medallist from the pool, the great Kaylee McKeown.

And they were followed in the parade of champions by a host of their other victors, including golden girl, double canoe slalom champion Jess Fox, who was later introduced to the 80,000 crowd as one of the new members of the IOC Athletes Commission.

The Aussies were in understandably buoyant mood as they danced on the track to Freed from Desire, amid the extraordinary sight of thousands of the world’s top athletes bouncing up and down in unison to the Gala hit.

There was plenty of reason to celebrate, with the team having finished fourth on the medal table with the 18 golds – eclipsing the previous best 17 from Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020 – while the 53-medal haul was their best in a Games away from Australia.

The biggest star in the early stages of the ceremony, though, wasn’t even in the stadium.

A huge cheer went up when French swimmer Leon Marchand, a sensational four-time champ in Paris, was shown on the big screen, dressed in his suit and tie, collecting the Olympic flame from outside the Louvre to bring to the Stade.

Later, Hollywood glitz was expected to take centre stage for the handover with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg ready to perform, while Tom Cruise was tipped to be playing a part too.

Either way, everybody was agreed that it ‘s probably going to be mission impossible for Los Angeles to top these most magnifique of Games.