Brittany Bowe & John Shuster Will Be Flag Bearers For Team USA In Olympics Opening Ceremony

Team USA has announced the flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but there is a last-minute change as one of the elected athletes has tested positive for Covid-19. 

Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and curler John Shuster received the highest number of votes to carry the flag from their fellow athletes, but Meyers Taylor recently announced she tested positive for the virus and will be replaced by runner-up Brittany Bowe, a speed-skater and three-time Olympian.

Meyers Taylor has won two silver medals and one bronze medal since she began competing in the Winter Olympics in 2010. In a statement, she said being voted as flag-bearer “is the biggest honor of my career. While I cannot carry the flag and walk in with the rest of Team USA, Brittany is very deserving of the opportunity to lead our delegation on my behalf.

Bowe is an Olympic bronze-medalist and a current world record holder in the 1000 meter speedskating sprint category. Bowe said, “Taking on this responsibility is the honor of a lifetime, and I will proudly carry the American flag on behalf of Elana, her family and all of Team USA.”

Shuster has the most Olympic Games under his belt of the three athletes, having competed in every Winter Olympics since his debut in 2006. He won a bronze medal at the 2006 games and took home the gold in 2018.

“When thinking back to my Opening Ceremony experiences, I cannot help but be proud to lead Team USA into an Olympic Winter Games,” Shuster said. “Joining the incredible group of Team USA leaders, especially since it was chosen by my Team USA teammates, is one of the greatest honors of my sporting career.

Shuster has the honor of being America’s first curler to carry the flag, while Meyers Taylor is the first bobsledder elected since 1956 when Jim Bickford Jr. carried the flag in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

The Opening Ceremony will kick off Friday, February 4 at 6:30 a.m., and there will be other presentations of the ceremony available on NBC platforms for those that miss the early broadcast.