Team GB athlete ‘removed from stage’ at Olympic closing ceremony | Other | Sport
The Paris 2024 athletes fared better in their stage-storming antics than one of Team GB’s stars did at the 1992 Olympic closing ceremony. Rowing legend Matthew Pinsent, who covered the Games for the BBC, revealed how one of them was escorted away by security in Barcelona.
Along with his equally iconic coxless pair partner Steve Redgrave, he’d won one of only five gold medals for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They were in attendance to celebrate at the conclusion of the Olympics 32 years ago, where one of their unnamed colleagues was escorted off stage by security.
“Closing Ceremony 1992 a certain British athlete boogies onto stage,” he recalled on X. “The security guards boogied up behind them and removed them pretty quick. Bit harder with hundreds of them. 1996 we were asked not to wear British kit if we were going to misbehave.”
Pinsent’s tweet came after Paris’ closing ceremony descended into chaos on Sunday evening when athletes flooded onto the stage in their droves at the Stade de France. They could be seen behind French band Phoenix during their performance.
According to the Telegraph, choreographer Thomas Jolly wanted them to surround the various platforms on the pitch, which were set out to represent the world map. The aim was to symbolise them taking “possession of the world and its oceans”.
However, in an apparent moment of miscommunication, they instead climbed up onto them. An announcement was made over the PA system, twice in both French and English, urging: “Dear athletes, please leave the stage.”
The situation was ultimately resolved after around 10 minutes, with stewards ushering the remaining athletes away. They weren’t the only ones to invade the stage, however.
Notorious YouTube prankster Daniel Jarvis, known by his online alias ‘Jarvo69’, snuck into the ceremony dressed as a member of Team GB. He’d managed to get his hands on the distinctive Hawaiian shirts uniform they were wearing.
Jarvis, who’s repeatedly targeted sporting events including a sex noises prank live on the BBC, shared a video of himself on social media walking along one of the platforms before being told to “get off the stage right now”.
