Paris Olympics to Conclude Amidst Controversy and High Expectations

The Paris Olympic Games will certainly go down in history. From the very beginning, the French declared that this would be an exceptional event, which they confirmed during the opening ceremony, held for the first time not in a hall but on the River Seine flowing through Paris.

As it turned out, the French were unable to avoid controversy from the very start. During the ceremony, the show's creators inadequately depicted the Olympian gods, which, for many, were a parody of the "Last Supper" painting.

I think it was pretty clear, there’s Dionysus arriving on this table. Why is he here? Because he’s the god of celebration (…), of wine, and father of Sequana, a goddess linked to the river — explained Thomas Jolly, later quoted by "The Guardian".

In extreme cases, great outrage over this ambiguity also turned into threats directed at the ceremony's creator. So, it's no wonder he reviewed the closing program several times. As a result, the final version was changed several times.

The creators do not reveal what we can expect at the Stade de France. All we know is that "pride, love, and passion" will be expressed from many sides. In addition to athletes, major music stars and a mysterious show presented by Tom Cruise are also expected to appear on the stadium turf.

If all goes well, we will have a blast. But I do not know of any ­edition of the Olympic Games where the ­closing ceremony changed the perception of the opening ceremony. It is this one that triggers the entire perception of the Games - said Thierry Reboul, director of the ceremonies, in an interview with "Le Parisien".