The opening ceremony takes place Friday in the Bird’s Nest.
Five-time Olympic curler John Shuster and four-time Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor were voted by Team USA to be the nation’s flag bearers at the Beijing Olympics.
Shuster, one of four five-time Olympians in Beijing for Team USA, is the first American curler to be chosen as a flag bearer. Taylor, meanwhile, is the only woman to win three Olympic bobsled medals for the U.S. with two silvers and a bronze.
However, after testing positive for COVID-19, Taylor announced that she won‘t be able to participate in the opening ceremony. Instead, three-time Olympic speedskater Brittany Bowe will take HER place as the runner-up in Team USA’s voting.
“Being voted by my peers as the flag bearer is the biggest honor of my career,” said Meyers Taylor said in a statement. “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. She is an incredible person with an exemplary character, and I'm excited to watch her and John lead Team USA at the Opening Ceremony.
“I’m honored to be a part of this team, and coming from a military family, it’s really special to have been chosen to carry our flag.”
Shuster captured the attention of an entire nation when he led Team USA to a gold medal in curling four years ago in PyeongChang. He also earned the United States’ first ever Olympic curling medal in Turin in 2006.
“Being elected as one of the flag bearers is a tremendous honor,” Shuster said in a statement. “When thinking back to my opening ceremony experiences, I cannot help but be so proud to lead Team USA into an Olympic Winter Games. 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.”
More Winter Olympics Coverage: