Leon Marchand of France and Kaylee McKeown of Australia have been selected as flag bearers for the closing ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Marchand was the most individually decorated swimmer at the Paris Olympics, winning four golds and one bronze medal last week. The 22 year old grew his fame in front of the home crowd and has already seen his Instagram following grow 6x during the last two weeks.
Marchand went four for four in Olympic Records while in Paris, notably winning gold in the “dirty double” 200 fly and 200 breast during the same session. He will be the flag bearer alongside Pauline Ferrand-Prevot who won gold in women’s cross country mountain biking.
France notably also had a swimmer as a flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Florent Manaudou was a flag bearer alongside Melina Robert-Michon. Manaudou won two bronze medals during competition in Paris.
McKeown of Australia won five medals while in Paris, two gold, one silver, and one bronze. She made Olympic history as well, becoming the first woman to ever win both the 100 and 200 backstroke events in back-to-back Olympics. She set Olympic Records in both of her wins as well.
Australia will also be represented by Matt Wearn of sailing at the closing ceremony, as he will be the men’s flag bearer.
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). The two join Katie Ledecky of the US as swimmers who have been selected to be flag bearers.
Summer is probably on a plane flying back to be flag bearer and Canada still hasn’t announced it.
Not sure what the deal is with Canada NOT announcing who the flag bearer is 24h away from the closing ceremony…
It would be surprising if it wasn’t Summer but still. The girl has a flight to catch if she is the one.
Yeah this is so strange… could be the hammerthrowers or degrasse maybe but still no reason to not announce. There won’t be any major changes in the next day
PHIL WIZARD!!!!!!
Got me there
I think it’ll be Ethan Katzberg.
Would also be a great choice.
It seems like they get a man and a woman this year for the first time.
I think Penny Oleksiak deserves that honour for Cansda. She’s given a lot in 3 Olympics and has 7 medals for Canada.
she carried it in 2016
Boys of Summer! To the downvote button!
Marchand is so good…I hope he finds motivation to try to go at least another year of full training with no distractions to try and get WR’s in the medley races and the 200 breastroke and in short course too.
I also have a wish for 2024/25: Katie Ledecky goes to a short course world championships and she goes fully tapered. We need that at least once Katie. Please
Marchand has announced to French media he would stay 6 months in France before coming back to training in Texas with Bob Bowman next January. He will be present for the 3 stops of the SC World cup in Asia, october-november. And he’ll participate at the SC World Championships in Budapest, next December. And a new challenge for him in the future. The 200 freestyle and probably the 400 freestyle.
This Le Monde interview says a month and a half, not six months. Also talks about how tough Bowman is as a coach. I know I read in a different Le Monde article that Bowman was the one pushing him to come back so quickly.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2024/08/10/leon-marchand-four-time-olympic-champion-i-want-to-break-as-many-records-as-possible_6712310_9.html
I think Kaylee should try for a spot in the prelims of 400 free relay. It’s an extra guaranteed medal. There’s no reason why a girl swimming 57 low in backstroke doesn’t swim 53 high at least in 100 free
Everyone was talking about her as a gold medal threat in the 200 IM and she was the 4th person to touch the wall. I don’t think she should add anything to her program. And I don’t know if she could make top 6 at trials.
Slight typo:
“McKeown of Australia won five medals while in Paris, two gold, one silver, and one bronze.”
That would be two bronze, not one to make five.
Difficult choice between McKeon and McKeown I imagine. How do you compare Emma’s 14 Olympic Medals at the end of her career to Kaylee’s 9th Olympic medal from 9 events, including her 4th individual gold? I assume the 4 individual golds (first Australian ever to do that) pushed Kaylee over the edge.
Greg Paltrinieri for Italy too.
Don’t get me wrong I think Kaylee is a great choice, she’s the first Aussie in history to win 4 individual gold and first woman to do the backstroke double-double.
BUT I do think Emma McKeon time after time gets looked over and never gets the recognition/attention Arnie/Kaylee/MOC do. She is our most decorated Olympian ever after all (14 medals) and Paris was her finale…
I’m wondering if Emma declined
Tokyo was Emma’s Olympics. She’s currently Young Australian of the Year and was lauded on return from Tokyo.
Kaylee’s 4 individual gold is the first ever for Australia in any sport.