Tears, medals, Ska music, Japanese dancing and planes flying – Sunday's Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony had it all.
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It began with the raising of the Japanese flag above a nearly empty stadium as the Olympic flame burned inside the white cauldron. According to tradition, marathon runners were presented with their medals, followed by Japanese dances and opera singer Tomotoka Okamoto singing the International Olympic Committee anthem.
IOC President Thomas Bach then declared the games officially over, as the French flag was hoisted above the arena to mark the handover of the Olympics to Paris, which will host the competition in 2024. The last time France hosted the games was in 1924, almost 100 years ago.
The handover also included a flyover above the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Thousands of people, including medalists who have returned from Tokyo, gathered near the site to watch.
French President Emmanuel Macron said, standing on the top floor of the tower, that the slogan of the 2024 Olympics would be "higher, faster, stronger," and added: "Together." His speech was followed by a concert performed by French artist Woodkid at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Earlier in the day, the IOC voted to give itself more power to remove sports from the Olympic program. The decision comes after prolonged issues with sports leadership.
The IOC can now remove a sport if its governing body does not comply with a decision made by the Olympic body's executive board or if it "acts in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic movement."
Weightlifting could lose its place at the 2024 Paris Olympics because of a series of doping scandals and governance issues. The International Weightlifting Federation was led for two decades until last year by longtime IOC member Tamas Ajan.
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