The 2024 Summer Olympics have finally come to an end in Paris and, now, it is time to pass off the torch to Los Angeles, which will be hosting the international athletic competition in 2028. The United States hasn’t hosted the events since 2002, when the Winter Olympics was held in Salt Lake City. To celebrate, the athletes heading to America in four years, stars from the states celebrated in the most American way possible, with help from Tom Cruise. The movie star made an epic stunt entrance in Paris to wave the Olympic flag. I've been watching it on repeat but, aside from that, many across social meda are focusing on a different part of the moment.
If America is going to do something, it’s going to be big. For those who missed it, the Mission: Impossible icon entered the Olympics Closing Ceremony stadium by jumping down from the top while attached to a rope. When he landed, he shook everyone's hand as he made his way to the stage, where he was handed the Olympic flag and then took off on his motorcycle. The broadcast then cut to footage of the Top Gun star riding through Paris before riding onto a ramp in a plane. The actor took a skydive out of the plane and into Hollywood, signaling a true passing of the torch. You can see his entrance in the Instagram clip below:
The Opening Ceremony in Paris was fantastic in its own way, but it’s hard to get more epic than Tom Cruise. Having a quintessential American movie star be handed an Olympic flag is so true to America, and with his stunts he showed his own athleticism. So it may not be hard to understand why this entire sequence is so rewatchable. While Cruise may have been spotlighted, many have zeroed in on the singer H.E.R. who was absolutely shredding a guitar solo while Cruise made his Parisian entrance. Fans were thrilled to see her a part of such an epic moment and thought she was the key element. You can see some of the comments below:
- H.E.R. was the highlight of all that!
- But that guitar player too… damn. Stole the scene imo. 👏
- Can we also recognize HER for the amazing guitarist she is
- HER is so incredible. She deserves to be there!! She made Tom look better ❤️
- I love the guitarist.
A lot of fans surely knew H.E.R. was an incredible singer, with hit songs like “Could've Been” and “Slide,” but many were surprised at how talented of a guitarist she was. The solo was incredible, and it didn’t look like she was breaking a sweat. While Tom Cruise’s stunt performance showed one element of American talent and ability, H.E.R. showed another, showcasing to the world the superb musicianship of American artists. She’s from California herself and was an excellent choice to represent her home state at the ceremony. The Grammy winner is also a major reason why this entire sequence was worth checking out.
The Paris Olympic Games were some of the best in recent memory, featuring sports moments that will be celebrated and replayed for years to come. There were several celebrities having a blast and cheering on their country, and this will probably be multiplied when the events are held in LA. The USA ended up taking home more medals than any other country this year, but let’s see if we can keep up the streak when the athletes are competing in their home country. With talents like Tom Cruise and H.E.R. leading the way, anything is possible. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to check out that massive entrance and guitar solo again.
Fans can see Tom Cruise doing more impossible stunts like this one in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, which is now streamable with a Paramount+ subscription. We may have to wait another four years before we see the Olympic athletes take Los Angeles but, in the meantime, you can revisit some of the best Olympic moments of 2024 now with a Peacock subscription.
