Man climbing Eiffel Tower sparks evacuation hours before Olympics closing ceremony

French authorities have evacuated the Eiffel Tower after a man was seen climbing the iconic landmark hours before the Olympics closing ceremony.

He was later detained by police.

The shirtless man was seen scaling the 330-metre-tall tower and was spotted just above the Olympic rings that have adorned the monument throughout the competition.

The Eiffel Tower was a centrepiece of the opening ceremony, with Celine Dion serenading the city from one of its viewing areas.

The man was spotted just above the Olympic rings. Credit: AP

The Tower is not expected to be part of the closing ceremony, which was set to begin at Stade de France in the Saint-Denis area around 9pm.

More than 30,000 police officers have been deployed around Paris and beyond to watch over the last Olympic events and the closing ceremony on Sunday.

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France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said about 3,000 police officers will be mobilised around the Stade de France, and 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 last day of the Olympics.

Team GB won their last medal of the games on Sunday with Emily Campbell taking bronze in the women’s +81kg weightlifting event, smashing her personal best in the process.

Results in the final afternoon of the Games have taken Team GB past the total of 64 medals won in Tokyo, bringing the final total for Paris 2024 to 65.

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