And just like that, the 2024 Paris Olympics are drawing to a close.
Olympians Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead were at the back of the parade as they carried the American flag at the Stade de France arena in Paris on Sunday, August 11.
The two gold medalists from Paris – Ledecky in swimming and Mead in rowing – followed all 204 other countries with the US flag, the last to host the next Summer Olympics, the 2028 Games in LA.
As they walked, they chatted with NBC’s closing ceremony commentators Jimmy Fallon and Mike Tirica.
“There’s a lot of countries ahead of us, we’re the last ones to go into them, so it’s pretty special because next we’re going to LA,” Ledecky, 27, said.
Nick Mead and Katie Ledecky.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
“It’s amazing. It’s such an honor to stand with Katie and represent the USA and the sport of rowing as the first rowing flag bearer,” added Mead, 29.
Ledecky also told NBC that she would “love” to compete in the 2028 Games.
After the flag bearers of all the countries entered, the Olympians from each country, many of them carrying their newly won medals, filled the edges of the stadium and began to mingle.
Team USA celebrated 126 medals at the 2024 Games during the closing ceremony — 40 gold, 44 silver and 42 bronze.
Ledecky and Mead were announced as the selections to represent Team USA at the August 8 closing ceremony.
“I am incredibly honored to represent Team USA as the flag bearer as we end our time together in Paris,” Ledecky said in a statement to Olympics.com after the announcement. “I am so proud of this team’s accomplishments in Paris and excited to celebrate with my teammates on Sunday.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Ledecky became the most decorated American athlete in Olympic history during the Paris Games, bringing home four medals in 2024 — two gold, one silver and one bronze, for a total of 14.
Her victory in the 800m freestyle made her only the second swimmer to win four consecutive gold medals in the same event. The only athlete who did it is Michael Phelps.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(734x402:736x404)/katie-ledecky-gold-paris-2024-080124-tout-d1eb96b175f048bebda945adb47a1469.jpg)
Katie Ledecky from the United States.
Photo agency/Getty
Mead — the first rower to ever carry the flag for Team USA — will leave the 2024 Games with a gold medal in the men’s four. His victory marks the first victory for Team USA since 1960.
Golden again! Katie Ledecky wins 1500m freestyle in Olympic record time, her 8th gold
After being selected as flag bearer, Mead told Olympics.com, “It’s an incredible honor to be chosen as flag bearer and represent the United States and the sport of rowing, which has never had an American flag bearer in Olympic history.”
The gold medalist added that sharing the privilege with Ledecky “makes it all the more special.”
To find out more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com and check out the live coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympic newsletter, to deliver the biggest stories from the Games straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics starting July 26 on NBC and Peacock.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education