9x Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky has been named the women’s flag bearer for the US at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony. She becomes the 3rd ever swimmer for the US to ever be selected to be a flag bearer for either the opening or closing ceremony.
Ledecky will be the flag bearer alongside Nick Mead of rowing who was selected as the men’s flag bearer. Mead won gold in the coxless four event.
Ledecky just finished her 4th Olympics, notably winning her 8th and 9th Olympic golds of her career. She won the 800 freestyle, becoming the first woman to ever win an event in the pool at four Olympics. The only other swimmer who has ever won four titles in one event is Michael Phelps who did so in the men’s 200 IM.
Her historic week also includes sitting tied at #2 all-time in gold medals for any sport. The only person to have ever won more gold medals is Phelps who won 23.
Ledecky is now the 3rd swimmer to ever be a flag bearer for the US. Phelps was the flag bearer at the opening ceremony for the 2016 Rio Olympics and Gary Hall did so at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
The closing ceremony is scheduled to begin at 9 pm local time in Paris (3 pm EST) on August 11th. It is scheduled to end at midnight local time (6 pm EST).
Swimming is going to dominate the closing ceremony!
Australia will probably have McKeon, France will most definitely give it to Marchand and Summer for Canada.
It’s McKeown for Australia.
I think McKeon will carry the Australian flag- apparently she is ‘returning to Paris’ for the closing reports say.
Well deserved. I’d choose Ryan Crouser for the man though. Sorry Nick.
Totally befitting the champion she is. Great choice and congratulations Katie.
She should have carried the flag at the opening ceremony! Her whole thing is about not easing off at the end……
Unlike Lebron.
If Lebron grew up swimming he would have the greatest back half of all time. I don’t even wanna think about what he could’ve done with his athleticism, endurance, quickness, and power in 200 free, IM, Fly, etc..
She had heats of the 400m the next morning.
Swimmers don’t often take active role in opening ceremonies due to the events starting the next day.
I would guess that she was asked to do Opening Ceremony and said no thanks because she swimming after! There is no way Coco would have been their first choice…sorry Coco. Also think Katie knew before today or she would have gone home already!
That’s what’s exciting about LA2028 – with swimming the second week instead of the first, all of the swimmers will finally get to attend Opening Ceremonies.
The flag bearer is voted upon and each sport nominates potential candidates. Since Ledecky wasn’t going to opening ceremonies due to swimming the next morning she wouldn’t have been nominated. There was never Katie turning it down – Coco was the one voted in to carry flag.
Several of the more prominent athletes are still there like Biles. There were a number at the Louvre with the Ledeckys yesterday if you look at Katie and Michael’s Instagram Stories
Has Ledecky ever been to the closing ceremony before? I seem to remember her going home beforehand at previous Olympics.
No she said in an interview that this would be her first Closing Ceremonies.
I would love to see beisel replace rowdy