The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have come to an end with the celebration of the Closing Ceremony, which is taking place at the Stade of France. Apart from the many artists that are set to present at the event, the athletes are also set to do their respective parade.
Unlike the Opening Ceremony, which this year took place in the Seine, during the Closing Ceremony, the athletes aren’t separated in groups. Same with the flag bearers, who enter all together to the stadium.
Being the flag bearer is one of the biggest honors for all the Olympic athletes. Usually, they are chosen due to their feats during the Games. This year, many countries chose a female and a male athlete to be flag bearer. Who was the chosen athlete for the US?
Who are the flag bearers for the US at the Closing Ceremony?
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky has been chosen as the women’s flag bearer for the United States. Ledecky will share the honor with Nick Mead from rowing, who was selected as the men’s flag bearer. In Paris, Mead, 29, helped the U.S. men’s four team to its first gold medal since the Rome Olympics in 1960.
Katie Ledecki and Nick Mead during Paris 2024 Closing Ceremony (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Ledecky’s impressive record
This marks Ledecky’s fourth Olympic appearance, during which she won her eighth and ninth gold medals. She triumphed in the 800-meter freestyle, becoming the first woman to win the same event at four consecutive Olympics. The only other swimmer to achieve four titles in a single event is Michael Phelps, who did so in the men’s 200-meter individual medley.
Ledecky’s remarkable achievements place her tied for second all-time in gold medals across all sports, with only Phelps, who won 23, ahead of her.
Ledecky is now the third swimmer to serve as a flag bearer for the U.S. Phelps carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics, while Gary Hall did so at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
