The curtain falls on the exhilarating Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with Great Britain reigning supreme with a gold medal tally that surpasses even their impressive performance in Tokyo. The star-studded closing ceremony at Stade de France sees A-listers like Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Snoop Dogg take the stage, while audience is kept on their toes by surprise appearances from Hollywood icon Tom Cruise and the GB flagbearers, trampoline gold medallist Bryony Page and triathlon gold winner Alex Yee. Share your favourite Paris 2024 moments using the hashtag #bbcolympics on WhatsApp or text. The BBC's Michael Emons and Bobbie Jackson, along with commentator Andrew Cotter, capture all the excitement of the final show.
The 2024 Paris Olympics have come to a thrilling conclusion, with Great Britain emerging victorious in the medal standings. The closing ceremony at the Stade de France witnessed a star-studded celebration with performances from world-renowned artists.
The closing ceremony was a spectacle of lights, music, and emotion. Some of the highlights included:
Great Britain had an exceptional performance at the Paris Games, surpassing their gold medal tally from Tokyo. The team won a total of 64 gold medals, 53 silver medals, and 49 bronze medals. Notably, the British women's football team won their first-ever Olympic gold.
1. When were the Paris 2024 Olympic Games held? The games were held from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
2. Which country won the most gold medals? Great Britain won the most gold medals, with a total of 64.
3. Who performed at the closing ceremony? Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Christine and the Queens, and many more took the stage.
4. What was the surprise appearance by Tom Cruise? Tom Cruise appeared in a video message, expressing his admiration for the athletes and the Olympic spirit.
5. Who were the GB flagbearers at the closing ceremony? Trampoline gold medallist Bryony Page and triathlon gold winner Alex Yee carried the British flag into the stadium.
Football pundits Joe Cole and Peter Crouch express their frustration with VAR after key decisions in the match between Leicester City and Chelsea at the King Power Stadium. Chelsea are currently leading 1-0 at half-time, thanks to a goal from Nicolas Jackson. The TNT Sports commentators believe Leicester should have been reduced to ten men after a dangerous tackle from Wilfred Ndidi, but VAR chose not to intervene. Cole and Crouch argue that the tackle could have seriously injured Chelsea's Cole Palmer.
Chelsea dominated Leicester City in their Premier League clash, with Nicolas Jackson scoring the only goal of the match in the 15th minute. The grudge match saw Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca returning to his old club for the first time since leaving in the summer. Despite having a goal disallowed for offside, the Blues were in complete control with around 70% possession. Young talent Noni Madueke also impressed, but had his goal ruled out for an offside call that was later revealed to be incorrect after the Spaniard was the one who cut the ball back for Madueke.
Chelsea secured a 2-1 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez. The victory was extra special for Chelsea's manager, Enzo Maresca, who returned to his former club and led his team to victory. Fernandez was the standout performer for Chelsea, scoring a goal and providing an assist in an impressive display.
In a dominant display of batting, rising Indian star Yashasvi Jaiswal has set a new world record for most sixes hit by a batter in a single calendar year in Test cricket. His valiant knock of 90 runs from 193 balls in the first innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth saw him hit seven fours and two crucial sixes, surpassing the previous record held by former New Zealand great Brendon McCullum. With this feat, Jaiswal has already broken the all-time India record set by Virender Sehwag earlier this year, proving his potential as a budding opening batsman.
Tilak Varma, the third-best T20I batter in the world, smashed 151 runs off 67 balls in Hyderabad's win over Meghalaya, setting a new record for the highest individual score in SMAT history. This was also Tilak's third consecutive T20 hundred, making him the first batter to achieve this feat. Hyderabad's total of 248 for six was its highest score in the tournament, while Meghalaya managed to score a mere 69 runs in response.
In his Test debut against Australia, Yashasvi Jaiswal showed commendable strength and confidence as he held his own against fast bowler Mitchell Starc. Despite being dismissed for a duck in the first innings, Jaiswal came back stronger in the second innings, helping India establish a lead with a half-century and a century partnership with KL Rahul. With his sights set on becoming the future of Indian Test cricket, Jaiswal is proving that he can perform under pressure on the international stage.
After a disappointing loss to Real Sociedad, Barcelona returns to LaLiga action against Celta Vigo, who have been struggling in the bottom half of the standings. Despite their defeat, Barcelona remains the league leaders and will be determined to continue their dominant run. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo will be looking for an upset against the top team.
Despite the fierce competition between the two nations, the camaraderie between Indian debutant Harshit Rana and Aussie pacer Mitchell Starc during the Perth Test was a heartwarming moment. Starc's friendly jibe to Rana about his bowling speed brought a smile to the latter's face, highlighting the bond they formed while playing together for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. While Starc played a crucial role in KKR's title win with his impressive spells, Rana contributed to the team's success with 19 wickets. Their friendly banter on the field shows the growing camaraderie between players from different countries, breaking traditional rivalries.
With a blazing performance on Day 2, Indian cricket team's captain Jasprit Bumrah led the dismantling of Australia in the first innings of their test match. The fifth Indian player to take a five-wicket haul as a captain, Bumrah dominated the lower-order, including star batter Alex Carey, who was expected to revive his team's chances. A resilient stand between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood helped Australia avoid a complete collapse, but it couldn't stop Bumrah from securing a lead and victory for India.
India's captain, Virat Kohli, takes the reins in a fiery team huddle only 45 minutes before the second day of play. While Australia puts up a tough fight on the final day, the efforts of Jasprit Bumrah, who secures five-wicket haul, and Harshit Rana, who produces a nasty lifter, lead India to a victory with a 46-run lead. And, to top it off, Bumrah's delivery proves too much for Aussie batsman Mitchell Starc to handle, creating a potential viral-X moment on the field.