Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead: Meet the Team USA Paris 2024 Closing Ceremony Flagbearers
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 are coming to a close, and two athletes have been selected to carry the Stars and Stripes for the United States at the Closing Ceremony on Sunday 11 August: Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead.
The ceremony, set to unfold at the Stade de France, will feature the athletes' parade and the symbolic handover of the Olympic flag to the next hosts: Los Angeles 2028.
For Ledecky, these Games were nothing short of legendary. Already an icon in the world of swimming, Ledecky managed to elevate her storied legacy even further.
With four more medals in Paris — two golds, one silver, and one bronze — Ledecky solidified her status as the most decorated American female athlete in Olympic history, amassing an astonishing 14 medals.
Among her many feats in Paris, Ledecky’s victory in the 800-meter freestyle stands out, marking her as only the second swimmer after Michael Phelps to win four consecutive gold medals in the same event.
As she prepares to lead Team USA, Ledecky reflects on the successes of the entire team. "I am incredibly honored to represent Team USA as a flag bearer as we close our time in Paris together,” Ledecky expressed. “I am so proud of this team’s accomplishments in Paris and excited to celebrate with my teammates on Sunday."
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Paris 2024 Olympics: The Flagbearers at Sunday's Closing Ceremony
Nick Mead on the Flagbearer news: "I got to go get a haircut"
Nick Mead's Olympic journey culminated in a gold medal in men’s four rowing—the first for Team USA in this event since 1960.
A Princeton graduate with rowing in his blood, Mead’s achievement shines on the resurgence of American excellence in the sport, just in time for LA 2028. Now, Mead will close these Olympics as the first rower in American history to carry the flag.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected as the flag bearer and to represent the United States and the sport of rowing, which has never had an American flag bearer in the history of the Olympics,” Mead said. “To share this privilege with Katie makes it all the more special."
The Pennsylvania native learned about this incredible honor in a rather unexpected setting — a team breakfast at a local Parisian restaurant. It was there that teammate Justin Best delivered the news.
"I was just looking up a bunch of stats, and it has actually been a pretty historic Games for us so far, obviously," Best began, setting the stage for the big reveal. "So us, flex, 64 years since the men's four won the gold, so that's pretty hype. Obviously, Katie Ledecky, the most decorated U.S. female Olympian. That's a flex of a stat."
Best paused for a moment before dropping the bombshell. "And I think my favorite stat is that you are going to be a flag bearer alongside Katie Ledecky at the closing ceremonies. That's the first time a rower will do so."
The news left Mead momentarily speechless before he finally responded with a grin, "That's sick. ... I got chills." He quickly added with a laugh, "I got to get a haircut."
As the world watches the handover from Paris to Los Angeles, Ledecky and Mead (with his fresh cut) will carry Team USA into the next chapter of Olympic history, this time on home soil.
Paris 2024 rowing: All results, as United States secures men's four gold medal