On 11 August, with the Olympic flame being extinguished during the Closing Ceremony, the veil officially dropped on the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The ceremony featured several iconic moments, including the handover of the Olympic flag to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the host city for the 2028 edition.
So, what does this handover stand for? When did it start, and what are the steps involved?
Here is everything you need to know about the Olympic flag handover, the last act of every Olympic event.
History
The flag handover ceremony is often referred to as the "Antwerp Ceremony", as the tradition began at the 1920 Olympic Games, when the first Olympic flag was handed over to the IOC by the city of Antwerp, Belgium. At the end of that Olympic edition, a new flag was made for Paris 1924, but the flag continued to be called the "Antwerp flag".
The Antwerp flag was used for the handover ceremony until Los Angeles 1984. The current one was presented to the IOC at the end of Rio de Janeiro 2016.
The first flag ceremony at the Olympic Winter Games was held at Oslo 1952 (Norway). The "Oslo flag" was last used at Sochi 2014. The city of PyeongChang presented a new flag - the one still in use - at the Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
How Does the Ceremony Take Place?
The Olympic flag handover is a symbolic moment during the closing ceremony when a city - in this specific case Los Angeles, and three years ago Milano Cortina - officially becomes the next host city of the Olympic Games.
The handover phase, in the programme, takes place after the flag of Greece is raised to the left of the Olympic flag and the Greek anthem is played as a symbol of the connection between the ancient Olympics, held in Olympia, and the modern ones.
Then, the Olympic flag is lowered and carried out of the stadium, while the Olympic anthem is played. The mayors of the two cities - the current host city and the future host city - join the IOC President on stage.
The mayor of the host city presents a special Olympic flag to the IOC President, who then passes it on to the mayor of the city that will host the next Olympic Games. The mayor who received it flags it eight times.
This unique flag - different from the one flown during the Olympic event - is typically displayed in the host city's city hall for the next four years, during the period leading up to the next Olympic Games. The flag of the next host Country is then hoisted to the right of the flag of the current host country, while its national anthem is played.
And then what? Sporting moments will not end with the closing ceremony, as only a few weeks later, the Paralympic Games will take place over 12 magical days, from 28 August to 8 September 2024, bringing together no less than 4,400 of the world's leading Paralympic athletes: a spectacle not to be missed!
