Eiffel Tower evacuated after man seen climbing it ahead of Olympics closing ceremony
French authorities have evacuated the area surrounding the Eiffel Tower after a man was seen climbing the iconic landmark just hours before the Paris Olympics closing ceremony.
The shirtless man was seen scaling the mammoth tower on Sunday afternoon (August 11).
At this stage it remains unclear where he began his ambitious ascent, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings adorning the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck.
After that, police escorted tourists and locals away from the area at approximately 3pm local time.
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Meanwhile, some who were briefly locked on the second floor were allowed to leave around 30 minutes later.
A Paris police official told the Associated Press: "An individual started climbing the Eiffel Tower at 2.45pm, police intervened and the person was detained."
The closing ceremony is set to begin at the Stade de France, well away from the Eiffel Tower, at around 9pm (local time) this evening.
More than 30,000 police officers have been deployed around Paris and the wider region for today's closing ceremony and final events where medals are still up for grabs.
France’s interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, said about 3,000 police officers will be mobilised around the Stade de France.
While Darmanin commented that 20,000 police troops and other security personnel in Paris and the Saint-Denis area will be mobilised late into Sunday night to ensure safety on the final day of the 2024 Olympics.
As Paris' hosting duties come to an end, there will be handover to Los Angeles in preparation for the 2028 Games.
The segment will be hosted by tennis pro Venus Williams and will see the likes of Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg all perform.
It was Celine Dion who wowed us all at the opening ceremony, a gig she actually did for $0.
Proceedings concluded with Dion's sparkling rendition of Edith Piaf's ‘L'Hymne A L'Amour’ from the Eiffel Tower, marking her first performance since revealing to the world her battle with 'stiff person' syndrome.
A report from a well-known US publication suggested the 56-year-old would receive a whopping $2 million for performing just the one song.
However, that was quickly shut down by the Olympic committee.
They said: "Contrary to information relayed in the media, the performers who will perform during the Paris 2024 Games ceremonies will not receive a fee for their performance.
"This commitment on their part - under these conditions - reflects their desire to participate in a historic event for France and for the world of sport.
"Furthermore, Paris 2024 will cover all technical production and performance organization costs, as is customary.
"Paris 2024 reminds that the budget of the organizing committee is 96 percent financed by private funding and that at no time do public contributions pay the artistic teams."
Callum Jones