Swimmer Michael Phelps will be the flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team when it enters Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium for opening ceremonies Friday, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced Wednesday.
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Women’s soccer takes its traditional place kicking off the Olympics on Wednesday, two days before the Opening Ceremony, in various cities in Brazil.
For every athlete who wins a gold medal at the Rio Olympics it will be a big deal.
“The experience thing I like because we don’t have a lot of time together so the fact that so many of them have been here before we don’t say things so many times”, said Auriemma. Anthony, one of the more outspoken players on social issues, says he hopes the team can use the Olympic platform to promote racial harmony and a reduction of gun violence in the United States. Don’t get me going: I don’t want to political about it … “In London, I wanted to make history”, Phelps said. The 40-year-old athlete was the victor of the Olympic gold in 2012, also winning the Olympic silver in 2000 and two bronze medals at the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008.
So now the duty and honor of carrying the flag will be on the shoulders of Phelps, a fitting start to the (apparent) end of an Olympic career like no other.
He may have never walked in an Opening Ceremony event before, but his first appearance in an Olympic Opening Ceremony will most definitely be a memorable one! At the last three Olympics, Phelps skipped the ceremony to rest up for his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, which was held the next day.
As USA Today is reporting in their latest opinion piece, Michael Phelps has made the news for good and bad reasons. He was also arrested for drunk driving for the second time.
Phelps’ long-time coach Bob Bowman echoed the Olympian’s statements, saying: “Clearly from a team perspective we are just focused on getting the best performances that we can, regardless of the circumstances”.
“I don’t plan on having our relationship out in the public and all this media on it”, Delle Donne said, “but obviously there’s excitement right now because people see it for the first time”.
“I think that’s why he came back”, the 32-year-old Lochte continued.
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“Just so you guys don’t beat me to death if I come back”, he told a packed interview room at the Main Press Center.
