An emergency situation unfolded just hours before the Olympics closing ceremony as a shirtless man climbed the Eiffel Tower on Sunday.
A climber was spotted scaling the north face, above the Olympic rings and the first viewing area.
Some visitors were evacuated at around 3pm while others were locked into a room on the second floor.
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Videos posted on social media showed the bare-chested climber skirting the Olympic rings as he made his way up the 330m tower without ropes.
In one video, the grinning climber could be heard saying to bystanders “bloody warm, innit?” as he was escorted off the viewing platform by police.
A Paris police spokesperson confirmed the man was detained, with an investigation underway.
The tower operator did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Eiffel Tower was a centrepiece of the opening ceremony, which took place along the Seine.
It was not due to play a significant role in the closing ceremony being held at the Stade de France.
But the Eiffel Tower climber followed a major security scare on the morning of the opening ceremony.
Saboteurs struck France’s TGV high-speed train network in a series of pre-dawn attacks across the country, causing travel chaos on the morning of the opening ceremony.
“Let’s remember those attacks, we responded swiftly, the accreditation system was impacted (by a cyber attack) but we solved the problem within four hours,” Paris 2024 chief executive officer Etiene Thobois said.
Torrential rain then threatened the smooth running of the elaborate opening ceremony but organisers acted quickly to ensure it went off without a hitch.
Paris 2024 organising committee president Tony Estanguet said it had been stressful and adjustments had had to be made.
But the triple Olympic champion was beaming with pride as he reflected on Saturday on a successful Games.
“The ambition we had was worth fighting for, we made strong choices, bold choices that are not always the easiest ones,” Estanguet told reporters a day before the closing ceremony.
Thobois said contigency plans were vital in ensuring a successful Games.
“There were moments of stress but everyone reacted with professionalism, the preparation work was perfect,” he said.
The Games were also rated as a success by the IOC, with Paris Games coordination commission chief Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant praising organisers for the venues, full stadiums and satisfying global ratings.
“If there had been an audacious, daring script for these Games it would have read like that. These Games have set a high benchmark,” he said.
“The Games have truly been embraced by Parisians … indeed by the whole world.
“More than half of the worldwide population will have followed in some form the Olympic Games over the past two weeks.”
– with AAP