With a parade of athletes on Champs Elysées, France throws one last party for the Paris Olympics
PARIS (AP) — Paris has wrapped up its feel-good summer with a grand parade. French athletes celebrated the Olympic and Paralympic Games on the Champs Elysées on Saturday. The Parade of Champions featured 460 athletes, including 120 medalists. Around 70,000 spectators lined the parade route, ending at the Arc de Triomphe. Hundreds of volunteers, Olympic representatives and city officials also attended. Organizers aimed to match the excitement of the Games’ ceremonies. Thierry Reboul, the director of ceremonies, told French media it was called the “5th ceremony.” President Emmanuel Macron attended and honored 120 French Olympians. Macron’s celebration came amid political challenges following inconclusive legislative elections. He appointed Michel Barnier to form a new government.