USATF Olympian Kara Winger Selected as Closing Ceremony Flag Bearer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games

TOKYO - The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced today that four-time Olympian and USATF Olympic Team captain Kara Winger was selected to lead the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team into the Closing Ceremony as flag bearer on Sunday, Aug. 8 at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
 
Chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes, Winger is the fourth track and field athlete to lead the U.S. delegation in the Closing Ceremony and the first since 2012 when Bryshon Nellum carried the flag. 
 
“It’s an incredible honor to be selected by my fellow Team USA athletes to be our flag bearer,” said Winger. “There’s no better way to conclude my career as an Olympic athlete than to lead the U.S. team into the Closing Ceremony. On behalf of Team USA, we want to thank the Tokyo Organizing Committee, the people of Tokyo and the country of Japan for hosting these Olympic Games and bringing the world back together again through sport.”
 
She is an eight-time USATF Champion and has represented the U.S. at five World Championships with her best finish coming in 2019 at 5th place. Winger is a two-time Pan American Games medalist claiming gold in 2019 and silver in 2015. She graduated from Purdue University in 2009 with a bachelor’s in Nutrition, Fitness and Health and in 2016 completed her masters in accounting through the USOPC’s program with DeVry University. Kara served as Athlete Advisory Committee (AAC) Secretary and was an AAC Representative on the USATF Board of Directors.

U.S Olympic Team Flag Bearers – Closing Ceremony (summer only)
1952     Bob Kurland, Basketball            
1956     Pete Rademacher, Boxing      
1960     Mike Troy, Swimming                 
1964     Don Schollander, Swimming       
1968     Al Oerter, Track and Field              
1972     Mike Burton, Swimming
1976     Willie Davenport, Track and Field         
1984     Jeff Blatnick Wrestling
1988     Terry Schroeder, Water Polo
1992     Peter Westbrook, Fencing
1996     Michael Matz, Equestrian                
2000     Rulon Gardner, Wrestling            
2004     Mia Hamm, Soccer               
2008     Khatuna Lorig, Archery              
2012     Bryshon Nellum, Track and Field
2016     Simone Biles, Gymnastics
2020    Kara Winger, Track and Field