The Eiffel Tower will keep the recognisable Olympic rings that have adorned it since June after the ongoing Paralympic Games, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo confimed on Saturday.

"As mayor of Paris, the decision is up to me and I have the agreement of the International Olympic Committee," Hidalgo told French daily Ouest-France. "So yes, they (the rings) will stay on the Eiffel Tower," she said, without specifying for how long.

She said five lighter rings of the same size would replace those fixed on the French capital's most emblematic monument because the current ones are "too heavy" to hold out for a long time.

Hidalgo also repeated her wish to see the Olympic cauldron stay in the Tuileries Gardens, but President Emmanuel Macron will have the final say as the site is state property.

Organisers have won widespread domestic and international praise for the smooth running of the games with Paris's most iconic monuments providing a picturesque backdrop.

Hidalgo hailed a success where the French people "fell back in love with Paris" which "will never be the same again", citing plans to reauthorise swimming in parts of the River Seine by summer 2025.

Despite the difficulties, Hidalgo insisted at the close of the Olympics that hosting the Games had been a unique opportunity to accelerate key changes in the city. "I believe that together we have achieved what we wanted. This is the result of 10 years of work. It's not just 15 days of happiness, it's not an afterthought," she said then.

Most of the Olympic sporting venues were repurposed for use during the Paralympics as well and Macron himself praised the legacy the Games will leave on the country a few weeks ago after the Olympics closing ceremony. The president said many had the feeling that during the Games even "the air was lighter."

France is bidding a reluctant farewell to a fortnight of the sporting extravaganza with most athletes, fans, and media praising the Olympic Games. Macron thanked all those who helped make the Olympics a success, saying that members of law enforcement had kept athletes and spectators safe.

"We don't want life to get back to normal," Macron said then at a reception at the Elysee Palace. Many in France say that the success of the Olympic Games has surpassed expectations, with the Games lifting what was a morose mood in France amid political crisis.