Olympics Come to a Close

The Paris 2024 Olympics concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony, marking the end of a highly successful and transformative event. The Games delivered on many of their promises, including environmental initiatives like cleaning the Seine River, improving infrastructure in the underprivileged Seine-St.-Denis suburb, and creating lasting benefits for local communities. Parisians and visitors alike embraced the Olympic spirit, with many skeptics pleasantly surprised by the positive changes brought about by the event. The US and China tied in gold medals with 40 each, but the US received more total medals than any other country. The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. This was referenced briefly in the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, where actor Tom Cruise symbolically collected the Olympic flag from gymnast Simone Biles and carried it off on a motorcycle, reminiscent of his roles in "Top Gun" and "Mission: Impossible." This theatrical handover was meant to represent the transition of the Olympic Games from Paris to Los Angeles.