Hollywood legend Tom Cruise jumped from the roof of the Stade de France last night in a death-defying stunt during an extravagant handover ceremony in Paris.
The 62-year-old was strapped into a harness, as he flung himself off a ledge in front of thousands of fans and Olympians for the grand finale of the summer Olympic closing ceremony.
He took up his position as Paris 2024 organiser Tony Estanguet thanked everyone for ‘playing their part’ in the Games and US R ‘n’ B star H.E.R. sang and played the Stars And Stripes, American national anthem on her guitar.
Once safely back on the ground, Cruise was handed the five-ringed Olympic flag by gymnast Simone Biles and the Mayor of LA which he loaded onto the back of a waiting motor-cycle.
Dressed in his trade-mark Top Gun black leather jacket, the action star then drove out of the arena standing up.
The switch across the Atlantic kicked off with live performances from Californian natives Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg on Venice Beach.
It came after a wacky show of artist performances, including a composer playing on a piano suspended in the air, a ‘golden voyager’ accompanied by dozens of dancers and many acclaimed French musicians.
