Originally published on E! Online
This character of the closing ceremony deserves a gold medal – in the truest sense of the word.
During the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on August 11, fans on social media immediately noticed that the Golden Voyager figure stole the show.
The masked alien figure, designed by the ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly, descended from the top of the arena wearing all-gold armor and a spiked headdress. One user on X, formerly Twitter, described the figure’s appearance as a “space wasp.”
Thomas designed the artistic figure to represent the Voyager Golden Record, humanity’s record-breaking space launch from France in 1977 (according to the Associated Press), and it entertained the audience very well during a portion of the ceremony that honored the history of France and the Olympic Games themselves.
In addition to floating down from the roof, the Golden Voyager performed a long expressive dance around the closing ceremony stage. Many viewers expressed mixed reactions to the creative element on social media.
“‘Sleep paralysis demons’ is an interesting theme for the closing ceremony,” wrote one X-user. “Let’s see where it goes.”
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Others compared the look to an episode of “The Masked Singer” and even expressed their theories about who might be hiding under the elaborate costume.
“Plot twist,” added another user. “The Golden Voyager at the Paris 2024 closing ceremony is actually the Australian breakdancer.”
But not everyone was keen on the character’s flair. Another person on X noted, “I’m pretty sure this golden traveller is going to be in my nightmares for the next four years.”
And while the Golden Voyager garnered plenty of attention as they bid farewell to the Olympics, that was far from the only notable performance. Finally, indie rock band Phoenix made a surprise appearance alongside Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig to play some of their biggest hits, including “Lisztomania” and “1901,” for the crowd of 2024 Olympic athletes.
As for the athletes’ appearances, Team USA rower Nick Mead and 14-time Olympic medalist swimmer Katie Ledecky served as flag bearers at the ceremony, and Katie even hinted at her plans for the next Summer Games in Los Angeles.
“I would love to swim in 2028,” the 27-year-old told NBC’s Mike Tirico and Jimmy Fallon during the closing ceremony. “I think swimming in front of a home crowd would be incredible.”
