Tokyo Olympics Day 16, Closing Ceremony Highlights: Tokyo chapter concludes, over to Paris!

Tokyo Olympics 2021 Events Schedule, Day 16: The Tokyo Olympic Stadium hosted a beautiful closing ceremony on Sunday after the medal events come to a conclusion.

By: Sports Desk Written by Mihir Vasavda
Tokyo | Updated: August 8, 2021 10:35 PM IST
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Tokyo 2020 Closing Ceremony.Tokyo 2020 Closing Ceremony.

Tokyo Olympics 2021, Day 16: The Tokyo Olympics are officially over. IOC President Thomas Bach declared the Games closed after the French flag was raised inside Olympic Stadium for the transition to Paris 2024. After a short performance in the stadium, the cauldron closed around the Olympic flame, extinguishing it.

The ceremony included a ska band on a stage with people dancing, juggling and soccer players moving around an elevated stage in the center of the stadium. Medals for the marathon were presented — an Olympic tradition — followed by traditional Japanese dances inside the stadium and on the videoboard. An opera singer performed during the International Olympic Committee anthem, then the transition to Paris 2024 that included a flyover in front of thousands of fans in front of the Eiffel Tower.

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Tokyo Olympics 2021, Day 16 Closing Ceremony Highlights: The Tokyo Olympic Stadium hosted a beautiful closing ceremony on Sunday after the medal events come to a conclusion.

18:46 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Tokyo Olympics closed

IOC President Thomas declares the 32nd Olympics closed. 'See you in Paris, thank you very much,' Bach said. The flame has been extinguished with a beautiful song. Now, get ready for the Tokyo Paralympics.

18:42 (IST)08 Aug 2021
IOC President Thomas speaks

'You inspired us with this unifying power of sport. This was even more remarkable given the many challenges you had to face because of the pandemic. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are the Olympic Games of hope, solidarity, and peace,' said IOC President Thomas Bach. Thomas also thanked the volunteers for hosting the Olympics successfully even after they got postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

18:22 (IST)08 Aug 2021
The closing ceremony shot could have been more epic!

The plan was to use Eiffel tower in Paris as the largest flag pole in the closing ceremony shots but due to bad weather they have dropped it. They did a successful rehearsal of it in June.

18:15 (IST)08 Aug 2021
France national anthem

After the flag handover to the Mayor of Paris, the national anthem of France plays in the stadium who will be the hosts of 2024 Olympics. Towards the end of the national anthem, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet plays the Marseillaise on the saxophone from space.

18:14 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Flag handover

After the traditional dance performances, Olympic anthem, the Mayor of Tokyo handed over the flag to IOC President Thomas Bach, who further handed it to the Mayor of Paris for the next Olympics. 

18:01 (IST)08 Aug 2021
PM Modi congratulates athletes

PM Narendra Modi thanks all the athletes of the Indian contingent, medal winners or not for representing the nation in Tokyo Olympics. 

17:57 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Volunteers under spotlight

The volunteers at Tokyo Olympics accept small tokens of gifts from the newly-elected IOC Athletes Commission members. Over 70,000 volunteers made the Games possible despite the major Covid-19 threat. 

17:48 (IST)08 Aug 2021
The performers of one big party!

In contrast to the sombre, almost brooding, ruminative theme in the opening ceremony, the end has been immensely peppy thus far. Orchestral bands and  DJ Matsunaga, a winner of works DJ championship, strutted his stuff on the turntable. Before the Greece flag went up in honor of where it all began.

17:47 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Why marathon winners were given medals at closing ceremony?

The medals for the marathon race were given out in the closing ceremony. It's an ode to ancient Greek history that marathon is one of the last contests in Olympics. 

In 490 BC, after a Persian army was defeated by Athenians on the plains of Marathon, the legend grew that a foot courier ran all the way to Athens to convey the great news of victory. And myth has it that he fell down dead after declaring , 'Rejoice! We conquer!'. The legend of the runner who died to bring the good news took hold and out of that emerged the modern marathon.

17:37 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Victory ceremonies for marathon winners

This is the first time in Summer Olympics, victories ceremonies for any event have been held during the closing ceremony. IOC president Thomas Bach, the 1976 Fencing Olympic champion presents the medals. Bach has been accompanied by World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, who has won two gold and two silver medals. 

17:31 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Over to you, Paris!

They aced the debuting sports in Tokyo, and Japan have seemingly thrown down for Paris 2024 as well. One of the flag bearers for the hosts at the closing ceremony was Ramu 'Ram' Kawai, the 2018 youth Olympics breaking champion. As per the qualification process, the Kanagawa-born B-girl first floored the judges with a one-minute, unedited video of her performance, then won the continental qualifier in Taipei City before windmilling and headspinning her way to gold In Buenos Aires.

Last December, breaking — the competitive form of breakdancing — was confirmed as part of the final line-up for the Paris Games. And Kawai, a member of one of the most famous breaking crews in the world 'Floorrioz', is earmarked to become the first female Olympic breaking champion. In Tokyo, Japan won 12 medals across the four debuting sports (skateboarding, surfing, climbing and karate); two more if you count the returning baseball and softball.

17:19 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Tokyo life on display

Just after a stunning light show, a Sunday afternoon park in Tokyo was recreated to the accompaniment of orchestral music. Just to give a representation of what Japanese people are up to in a park on Sunday. An idea germinated to give the athletes unable to get out of the village due to covid restrictions. If they and the fans (not allowed this Olympics) had stepped out to the streets, this is what they would have witnessed.

17:18 (IST)08 Aug 2021
The Olympic spirit

The lights went off and we witnessed a beautiful light show in the middle followed by the Olympic spirit and fireworks. And, to conclude, the Olympic rings. 

17:09 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Thousands of athletes gather

The arena is full of athletes showing off their medals, showing posters, posing for cameras and having a good time. 

17:03 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Why athletes did not come out in any particular order?

Unlike the opening ceremony, where they walked out in different groups from different countries,  the athletes walk as one under one world , one nation in the closing ceremony.

It was triggered by letter from John Ian Wing, a 17-year old Chinese , a third generation immigrant living in Australia then. It was the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne and Ian Wing didn't like what he saw as political interference in the games.

It was a time of  fracas. Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon had pulled out of the games following the Suez Crisis in October 1956 a military attack on Egypt by Britain, France and Israel. Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland also withdrew after the Hungarian Uprising. The water polo atheletes from Russia and Hungary even fought physically in the event and players were bloodied.

Three days before the closing ceremony,  Ian wing wrote to the Olympics director. That in the closing ceremony should be organised with a "one world one nation" theme. 

Wrong didn't think much of it and went to watch a cowboy movie during the closing ceremony. A shy boy, he grew a bit worried about the news frenzy and sent another letter to the director not to reveal his identity.


The letter made Wing famous and put his name in Australian history textbooks. A street was named after him in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Village. Years later, he moved to England. 

It was only in 1986  that his identity was revealed when an Australian student Shane Cahill, now unsurprisingly a journalist and commentator, doing a research on Olympics stumbled on his letter. Media hunted. And a radio Jockey in London called him and asked, 'are you the John Ian Wing?"

16:55 (IST)08 Aug 2021
All athletes come out

All the athletes come out in the arena. There is no particular order of entry followed here. The athletes are casually walking with their medals, flags, smartphones in their hands and waving around.

16:43 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Bajrang Punia - India's flag bearer

All the flagbearers of National Olympic committees come out with the flag of their respective countries. For India, Bajrang Punia is the flag-bearer. Punia won a bronze medal in the men's freestyle 65kg wrestling event. 

16:40 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Flag of Japan

The flag of Japan has been brought by six bearers to start off the closing ceremony. Tokyo Story movie's theme song is playing in the background as bearers bring the flag. It is followed by the national anthem of Japan. 

16:30 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Tokyo Olympics Closing Ceremony

Here we go...

16:00 (IST)08 Aug 2021
In other news: Messi confirms his Barcelona departure
15:30 (IST)08 Aug 2021
From one champion to another...
15:15 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Looking back at India's performance in Tokyo 2020!

India was quite literally on a roller-coaster during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics! There was the first medal in track-and-field which also happened to be the first gold in 13 years and second-ever individual gold, the first medal in hockey in 41 years, the first silver in weightlifting, the first boxing medal in nine years, the first woman with two Olympic medals, the most number of debutants ending up on the podium, and the most number of medals ever won... it all happened in one single edition! | READ MORE |.

15:00 (IST)08 Aug 2021
A moment for the ages!
14:45 (IST)08 Aug 2021
10 Indian officials for closing ceremony, no limit on athletes

There will be no limit on the number of Indian athletes attending the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony on Sunday but the count of the officials has been capped at 10. In contrast to the ethnic outfit that athletes wore during the opening ceremony, they will be seen in comfortable tracksuits. A majority of the hockey and wrestling contingent is expected to attend the ceremony that begins 4:30 PM IST. Wrestler Bajrang Punia, who claimed a bronze on Saturday, will be India's flag-bearer as announced earlier.

14:30 (IST)08 Aug 2021
The final gold of Tokyo Olympics goes to Serbia!

Serbia wins the last gold medal of Tokyo Olympics after beating Greece in men's water polo. US top medal tally (113 overall medals) again with 39 golds. China finish second with 38 golds ahead of Japan with 27 golds. India end on the 48th spot.

14:00 (IST)08 Aug 2021
I feel overwhelmed at Neeraj's gold-winning feat: Klaus

Klaus Bartonietz, the bio-mechanics expert who guided star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra to Olympic gold, on Sunday said he felt overwhelmed at his ward's feat to become the best in his sport. Bartonietz has been with Chopra since the second part of 2019 when the youngster was undergoing rehabilitation following an arthroscopic surgery on the elbow of his throwing right hand.

"I feel overwhelmed that Neeraj was able to win a medal, not a bronze, not a silver but a gold and he became the best javelin thrower in the world," Bartonietz said in a short clip released by Athletics Federation of India. "It's a great joy for AFI, for all the people who are interested in athletics in India," said the German who left for his home this morning.

13:55 (IST)08 Aug 2021
IOC gives itself more power to remove sports from Olympics

The International Olympic Committee voted in the new powers amid prolonged issues with the leadership of weightlifting and boxing. Both sports already had their quota of athletes cut for the 2024 Paris Olympics and weightlifting could be dropped entirely.

The Olympic Charter was amended so the full IOC membership can remove a sport if its governing body does not comply with a decision made by the IOC executive board or if it "acts in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic movement". The IOC widened its authority by adding a "but not limited to" clause that goes beyond the stated reasons for removing a sport.

13:30 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Staying away from mat for 25 days affected my preparation: Bajrang

Bajrang Punia on Sunday revealed that his knee injury forced him to skip mat training for nearly three weeks which severely hampered his Olympic preparations. Bajrang had skipped the Poland Open, the last ranking event before the Tokyo Games, arguing that he needed training more than the points and headed to Russia, where he trained and also ended up injuring his right knee by choosing to compete in a local event — Ali Aliev tournament. On June 25, competing in the semi-finals of the tournament against Abulmazhid Kudiev, the U23 European silver medallist, Bajrang endured a painful move and suffered the injury.

Bajrang was off-colour in his first three bouts at the Tokyo Olympic Games but comfortably beat Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov in the do-or-die bronze medal bout on Saturday to earn a podium finish on his Olympic debut. | READ MORE |

13:25 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Boxing: Jalolov bags gold for Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan's Bakhodir Jalolov, who knocked Satish Kumar out from the competition earlier, has won gold in men's super-heavyweight ( 91kg) category. in boxing. He defeated Richard Torrez Jr. of the United States 5-0 in the summit clash.

13:12 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Silver medallist Mirabai Chanu turns 27 today
13:09 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Chak de Reload
13:04 (IST)08 Aug 2021
In Khandra, a village of 2,000, everyone has a Neeraj story

A 16-km drive from Panipat on the Assandh road where a theka (liquor store) can be spotted every 500 metres, is Khandra. The village, which is home to nearly 500 families, doesn’t have a playground, a stadium, or even a gym. Youngsters either work on the sprawling fields or move to cities to earn a livelihood. The closest, run-down gym is about 6 km away.

It was mayhem at the Chopra household — crackers were burst, sweets were disturbed, dhols pounded heavily, songs of joy sung out aloud, feet tapped the floor to the tunes of bhangra and Hindi pop songs, in no particular rhyme or rhythm. It didn’t matter; it was a day when nothing mattered except for the gold their chhora (boy) had won miles away in Tokyo.

Everyone in the village has a Neeraj story that they tell with unadulterated affection, as though he was their own son or brother. Like the one about his nickname, Sarpanch (village chief); it’s a story that Neeraj’s uncle Bhim never tires of narrating. (Read Full Story)

12:55 (IST)08 Aug 2021
The sporting high
12:41 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Neeraj dedicates medal to Milkha Singh

The mere mention of Milkha Singh made Chopra emotional. So much so that during the highest point of his career, the 23-year-old spared a thought for those who came agonisingly close but could not scale the peak. India’s first Olympic track and field champion dedicated his medal to them. “When Milkha Singh ji passed away, I felt very bad. I wanted to meet him with an Olympic medal because that is what his dream was. It is sad that he’s not among us but I hope he’s seeing us from above and is happy that with this (medal) his dream has come true,” Chopra said. “Even other athletes like PT Usha, who missed out on a medal by centimetres, I hope they’re all happy.”

12:38 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Neeraj-Arshad discussed their Asian Games viral pic on way to the final

On the bus from the Olympic Village to Tokyo’s National Stadium on Saturday, Pakistan’s javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem was flipping through some pictures on his mobile phone when he stopped at one image and showed it to Chopra, seated next to him. “It was our photo from the Asian Games,” Chopra said. “He was saying how, through that photo, people in Pakistan equate us to Abdul Khaliq and Milkha Singh.” (Read Full Story)

12:24 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Bajrang Punia’s wrestle mania

Right from childhood, his life has revolved around wrestling, and encouraged by his father and brother, both ex-wrestlers, Bajrang embarked on a medal-bagging spree which has culminated in an Olympic bronze medal.

12:06 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Medal tally at the top

USA women's volleyball beat Brazil in straight sets to surpass China for most golds in Tokyo. The Americans are also topping the medal tally, China on the second. After the gold last evening, India stands at the 48th.

11:57 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Volleyball: US beat Brazil for first gold

For the first time ever, the USA women have won Olympic gold in the women's volleyball tournament. They've been on the podium for the last three Games in a row - but the gold has evaded them until today.

11:45 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Volleyball: Governor in the ranks

There's a governor in the mix for the American women's volleyball team. Not your typical politician though, this one wasn't elected by a traditional vote. A popularity vote instead gave Jordan Larson the moniker 'The Governor.' And you can understand why.
The six-foot-two American team captain comes from the small town of Hooper in Nebraska, with a population no more than 900. Naturally, everybody knows everybody. And everybody there makes a lot of noise throughout the state about who Larson is to the point that she's now become a very recognisable figure all over the state, and the most popular player in the country.

That's what led the brother of a teammate to give her the nickname. And there was no way one passing through the town could go without knowing the name. In her first Olympic appearance at London 2012, every store in the town had posters up of her, and a large banner was put up at the entrance of the town reading "Home of Olympian Jordan Larson USA Volleyball women's national team."

That sign was removed a year later when authorities realised it was put-up without permission. Larson was in the team that won silver in London and bronze at 2016. Tokyo, she said, will be her last Olympic Games. And she’s leaving it by conquering the highest stage. The Americans have won their country's first gold medal in the women's event, with Larson as captain. Rest assured, there will be something much bigger, and more permanent put up for the Governor when she gets back home.

11:40 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Volleyball: Debut at 40

The lowest point of her sporting career, Caroline Gattaz says, is when she didn't make the Brazilian national volleyball team for the 2008 Olympics. She watched the event from close quarters, working as a sports commentator for the Games that saw Brazil win it's first women's volleyball gold medal.

Four years later, when the Brazilians defended their title in London 2012, she again didn't make the cut and by 2013 stopped playing for the national team. In Tokyo, the Brazilians are up against the American team in the final - just as it was in Beijing and London. But on this occasion, for the first time in eight years, Gattaz has been called in to play for the national team. At 40, she's making her Olympic debut and she's just a match away from winning gold.

11:37 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Raining cash rewards for Neeraj Chopra

It’s raining rewards for Neeraj Chopra after he secured Independent India’s first individual gold in Olympic history:

- Rs 6 crore by Haryana govt
- Rs 2 crore by Punjab govt
- Rs 2 crore by BYJU'S (The startup also announced Rs 1 crore for each of the other six medallists)
- Rs 1 crore by the BCCI
- Rs 1 crore by IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings
- Free unlimited travel for one year by Indigo

11:15 (IST)08 Aug 2021
The celebrations continue for Team India
10:52 (IST)08 Aug 2021
From a rank of 200 to No. 4, golfer Aditi’s amazing Tokyo run

Ashok’s disappointment was natural. But the fact that it went down to the last shot on the final hole of the deciding day, staying in the mix right until the end is creditworthy in itself. Just imagine: this was a 23-year-old ranked 200th, against World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the US and multiple title winner Ko, standing her ground with a cold-blooded, nerveless performance with no one else but just her mother by her side.

These sorts of things don’t happen a lot. And almost never at the Olympics. (Read Full Story)

10:40 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Welcome to the club, much needed addition: Abhinav Bindra to Neeraj
10:27 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Watch: Indian tennis star Somdev picks up his guitar to honour Neeraj
10:21 (IST)08 Aug 2021
A memorable campaign even without medal
10:17 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Making hockey feel like our national sport again
10:07 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Medal Tally

USA won two more gold medals on Sunday in Women's Cycling Track and Basketball. With that, USA ties China in gold medals (38) and dominates the world in overall medals. They now plays Brazil in Volleyball final for another gold

10:06 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Basketball: USA women beat Japan to win gold

The U.S. women's basketball team won defeated Japan 90-75 to win gold on Sunday. Sue Bird and teammate Diana Taurasi now stand alone with five gold medals each — the first basketball players ever to accomplish that feat.

Dawn Staley, the first Black head coach of the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, has led Team USA to its seventh-consecutive gold medal. Team USA’s seven gold medals ties the longest gold medal streak for any Olympic team sport.

09:49 (IST)08 Aug 2021
It turned nasty on the cycling tracks earlier today
09:48 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Football: Brazil beat Spain to win Olympics gold

Brazil captain Dani Alves said his dream had come true after winning an Olympic gold medal at the age of 38 with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Spain in Saturday's final. 

09:44 (IST)08 Aug 2021
In other Tokyo Olympics news; Jennifer Valente wins on the cycling track

U.S. gets a bit of a surprise gold from Jennifer Valente, who takes the omnium to become the first American woman to win an Olympic track cycling title.  This gives Valente her second medal of the Games after she won bronze in team pursuit. The U.S. previously earned seven silver or bronze medals in track cycling.

09:33 (IST)08 Aug 2021
India's history-makers
09:30 (IST)08 Aug 2021
The 15 days jounrey for the Indian team comes to an end
09:17 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Hope & hunger: Why 7 medals in Tokyo add up to a lot more

Neeraj Chopra's javelin gold made sure India will leave Tokyo with a record medal haul – the one gold, two silver and four bronze overtaking the previous-best tally of six at the London Olympics. But then seven is just one more than six.

India had Olympics medals in shooting, wrestling, badminton but it hasn’t excelled in any of the Olympics mother sports: athletics, swimming, gymnastics. That changed Saturday. (Read More)

08:57 (IST)08 Aug 2021
87.58 m, a billion hearts, first athletics medal: Neeraj Chopra makes history

Neeraj Chopra didn’t even give it a second glance. The moment he released the javelin, he was so sure it would at least be his personal best that he turned to his coaches, and lifted his arms to celebrate. But Chopra was wrong. It wasn’t his personal best. The throw, which travelled 87.58 m, made him an Olympic champion.

For 100 years, Indian athletics has only been about stories of near-misses, shattered dreams and enduring heartbreaks. When the time finally came — at 9.07 pm on a muggy night at Tokyo’s National Stadium — the sport struck gold. (Read Front Page Story)

08:52 (IST)08 Aug 2021
When the front page of a newspaper looks like the last (sports page)

It has indeed been a sporting high for Team India that returns back with a record seven medals and a historic gold in athletics!

08:26 (IST)08 Aug 2021
This is so beautiful to watch
08:05 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Surreal
07:52 (IST)08 Aug 2021
Did he know then he was on his way to become India's biggest sporting star?
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Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Neeraj Chopra of India in action (REUTERS)

The 87.03 metres throw. Not to be mistaken for that 87.58 metres one which fetched Neeraj Chopra the gold. Chopra’s first rush in the final – the opening act, India’s first step in track & field, Chopra’s rocket take-off, his open challenge to Johannes Vetter to see who was better on the big night – was the defining moment of India’s 2020+1 Olympics climax. The 87.03 joined a pantheon of statistical coincidences, harbingers of blazing medals India has won over the years in Olympic finals.

That the gold medal was sealed with the very first of six throws is clear. Some might even say that the message went out to the field in qualification itself. Chopra 86.65m bt Vetter 85.64m. (READ MORE)

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