Hello, and welcome to New Zealand from the BBC World Service coming to you live from our

studios in Central London. I'm Julian Marshall.

The closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics got underway about an hour ago in the Stad

de France, bringing to an end two weeks of sometimes superhuman sporting achievement that was uplifting, inspirational, and distracting in a troubled

world.

But national rivalries did play out with the United States equaling the number of gold medals won by China but ending top of the table

having most medals overall. The ceremony began with the pre-recorded sequence outside the stadium in which French

Chanteurs Zahoe de Saugazah sang on the cell of Paris. She was followed by French

Olympic swimming star Leon Morsch

Jean, extinguishing the Olympic cold run and carrying a small

flame towards the Stad de France and then it was into the Pact Stadium itself.

With the organizers have released a list of other performers, among them Billy Eilish, the Red Hot

Chili Peppers Snoop Dogg and Hollywood actor Tom Cruz who's expected to perform a daring aerial

stunt, rebelling down from the top of the Stud of France with an Olympic flag and then in a pre-recorded sequence skydiving

onto the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. Let's go now to our sports correspondent Paul Serras and what's been happening Paul.

Yes hello there Julian the closing ceremony as you said has been underway for

about an hour or so a processional ceremony really for the athletes who have

entertained over the last 16 days to say goodbye to Paris and of course to hand

over to the next host Los Angeles in four years time in 28. A procession

of athletes who have entertained, it's a, you know, the small matter of

1433 days time that Los Angeles gets underway.

And of course they were awarded those games seven years ago,

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