TOKYO OLYMPICS DECLARED CLOSED; FLAG PASSED ON TO PARIS MAYOR FOR 2024

The Tokyo Olympic Games came to end after a stunning closing ceremony at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium on Sunday. After more than two weeks of thrilling competition with manifold twists and turns, the Olympic flag was ceremonially lowered and handed over by the Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike to Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, via the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. The Closing Ceremony of the Games, which ran for 17 days saw participation from athletes from over 200 countries.A display of beautiful, luminous colours swirled together to represent the many flags of the world. They formed the Olympic Rings signifying a “timeless symbol of unity.”

“The Olympic spirit is in all of us,” Olympics tweeted. The phrase “ARIGATO” was displayed on the LED screens in the Olympic Stadium, in the same font that was used to spell out “SAYONARA” at the Closing Ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Once the Games were declared as closed, the Olympic flame was extinguished. “Our deep gratitude and appreciation go to the Organising Committee. Nobody has ever organised postponed Olympic Games before,” said IOC chief Bach. “And now, I have to mark the end of this most challenging Olympic journey to Tokyo: I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed.” he added.