Eiffel Tower locked down after man climbs it hours before Olympic ceremony: who was the man?

A man climbed the Eiffel Tower and clung to the famous landmark just hours before the Paris Olympics closing ceremony, according to a report by the news agency AP on Sunday.

Once French authorities were notified of the situation, they immediately evacuated the vicinity around the Eiffel Tower, the report stated.

The shirtless man was seen scaling the tower, which stands at 330-metres (1,083-foot) at around 3pm local time. AP report that it remains unclear where exactly he began his ascent, however he was seen right above the Olympic rings have hung across the second section for the duration of the Games, right above the first viewing deck.

Who was the man who climbed the Eiffel Tower?

Police moved to escort visitors away from the area around 3 p.m. Some visitors who were on the second floor were, AP say, “briefly locked” in but “allowed to exit around 30 minutes later”. It is not known who the man is.

The closing ceremony is not set to feature the iconic landmark, as the Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis will be the host venue of the ceremony which begins at 3pm ET (and can be followed live on AS USA).