A man was spotted free climbing the Eiffel Tower just hours before the Olympics came to a close. GETTY IMAGES

French police arrested a man climbing the Eiffel Tower, closing down and evacuating the area surrounding the Parisian landmark just hours before the Olympic Closing Ceremony on Sunday at the Stade de France.

The man was spotted just above the Olympic rings adorning the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck.


"An individual started climbing the Eiffel Tower at 2:45 p.m., police intervened and the person was detained," a Paris police official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of an ongoing investigation into the incident.

Videos posted on social media showed the bare-chested climber urban-soloing the 330-meter tower. One of the reels shows the grinning climber saying to bystanders "Bloody warm, innit?" as he is escorted off the viewing platform by police.

The Eiffel Tower was a prime centrepiece of the Olympic Games, hosting the beach volleyball events and one of the major sights along the marathon. At the opening ceremony, Celine Dion serenaded the city from one of its viewing areas.

The iconic landmark was not expected to be part of the closing ceremony. However, it was showcased in the distance as Hollywood actor Tom Cruise rode by on a motorcycle with the Olympic flag in his mission to bring it to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games.