During opening and closing ceremonies at the Olympics, each country's team is led into the event space by an athlete or delegation representative bearing his or her country's flag. On the U.S. side, the flag-bearer is usually chosen by fellow athletes and/or team captains. The practice of carrying flags began with the 1908 Summer Games in London.
LeBron James and Coco Gauff received the U.S. flag-bearer honor for the opening ceremony at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead received the honor for the Paris closing ceremony. Here is a rundown of other U.S. flag-bearers throughout Olympics history:
2024 Paris
Opening: LeBron James, basketball; Coco Gauff, tennis
Closing: Katie Ledecky, swimming; Nick Mead, rowing
2022 Beijing
Opening: Josh Shuster, curling; Brittany Bowe, speed skating
Closing: Elana Meyers Taylor, bobsled
2020 Tokyo
Opening: Sue Bird, basketball; Eddy Alvarez, baseball
Closing: Kara Winger, track and field
2018 Pyeonchang
Opening: Erin Hamlin, luge
Closing: Jessie Diggins, cross-country skiing
2016 Rio
Opening: Michael Phelps, swimming
Closing: Simone Biles, gymnastics
2014 Sochi
Opening: Todd Lodwick, Nordic combined
Closing: Julie Chu, hockey
2012 London
Opening: Mariel Zagunis, fencing
Closing: Bryshon Nellum, track and field
2010 Vancouver
Opening: Mark Grimmette, luge
Closing: Bill Demong, Nordic combined
2008 Beijing
Opening: Lopez Lomong, track and field
Closing: Khatuna Lorig, archery
2006 Torino
Opening: Chris Witty, speed skating
Closing: Joey Cheek, speed skating
2004 Athens
Opening: Dawn Staley, basketball
Closing: Mia Hamm, soccer
2002 Salt Lake City
Opening: Amy Peterson, short track speed skating
Closing: Brian Shimer, bobsled
2000 Sydney
Opening: Cliff Meidl, flatwater canoeing
Closing: Rulon Gardner, wrestling
1998 Nagano
Opening: Eric Flaim, speed skating
Closing: Cammi Granato, hockey
1996 Atlanta
Opening: Bruce Baumgartner, wrestling
Closing: Michael Matz, equestrian
1994 Lillehammer
Opening: Cammy Myler, luge
Closing: Dan Jansen, speed skating
1992 Barcelona
Opening: Francie Larrieu Smith, track and field
Closing: Peter Westbrook, fencing
1988 Seoul
Opening: Evelyn Ashford, track and field
1988 Calgary
Opening: Lyle Nelson, biathlon
1984 Los Angeles
Opening: Ed Burke, track and field
1984 Sarajevo
Opening: Frank Masley, luge
1980 Lake Placid
Opening: Scott Hamilton, figure skating
1976 Montreal
Opening: Gary Hall, swimming
1976 Innsbruck
Opening: Cindy Nelson, alpine skiing
1972 Munich
Opening: Olga Fikotova Connolly, track and field
1972 Sapporo
Opening: Dianne Holum, speed skating
1968 Mexico City
Opening: Janice Lee Romary, fencing
1968 Grenoble
Opening: Terry McDermott, speed skating
1964 Tokyo
Opening: Parry O'Brien, track and field
1964 Innsbruck
Opening: Bill Disney, speed skating
1960 Rome
Opening: Rafer Johnson, track and field
1960 Squaw Valley
Opening: Don McDermott, speed skating
1956 Melbourne
Opening: Norman Armitage, fencing
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo
Opening: James Bickford, bobsled
1952 Helsinki
Opening: Norman Armitage, fencing
1952 Oslo
Opening: James Bickford, bobsled
1948 London
Opening: Ralph Craig, track and field
1948 St. Moritz
Opening: Jack Heaton, skeleton
1936 Berlin
Opening: Alfred Jochim, gymnastics
1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Opening: Rolf Monsen, cross-country skiing
1932 Los Angeles
Opening: F. Morgan Taylor, track and field
1932 Lake Placid
Opening: Billy Fiske, bobsled
1928 Amsterdam
Opening: L. Clarence "Bud" Houser, track and field
1928 St. Moritz
Opening: Godfrey Dewey, president of Lake Placid Organizing Committee
1924 Paris
Opening: Pat McDonald, track and field
1924 Chamonix
Opening: Taffy Abel, hockey
1920 Antwerp
Opening: Pat McDonald, track and field
1912 Stockholm
Opening: George Bonhag, track and field
1908 London
Opening: Ralph Rose, track and field
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