Elana Meyers Taylor elected as Closing Ceremony flag bearer for 2022 U.S. Olympic Team

BEIJING – Four-time Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor was elected to lead the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team as flag bearer into Sunday's Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, as announced today by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Meyers Taylor was chosen by a vote of fellow members of Team USA.

Meyers Taylor was also elected to lead the U.S. delegation into Opening Ceremony but was unable to attend the ceremony due to testing positive for COVID-19. Speedskater Brittany Bowe walked on behalf of Meyers Taylor.

"I was so honored to be named the Opening Ceremony flag bearer, but after not being able to carry the flag, it’s even more humbling to lead the United States at the Closing Ceremony,” said Meyers Taylor. “Congratulations to my fellow Team USA athletes on all their success in Beijing – I'm looking forward to carrying the flag with my teammates by my side and closing out these Games.”

Meyers Taylor won the silver medal in the Olympic debut of women’s monobob competition on Feb. 14 at Yanqing National Sliding Center, adding to the two silver medals she won at PyeongChang 2018 and Sochi 2014, and bronze medal at Vancouver 2010. She returns to the track for two-woman bobsled, with the first heat scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Beijing on Friday, Feb. 18.

Meyers Taylor is the first bobsled athlete to serve as Closing Ceremony flag bearer for Team USA since Brian Shimer in 2002. She is the second U.S. athlete to have been elected as the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony flag bearer, joining bobsled and skeleton athlete Jack Heaton, who carried the flag in both ceremonies in St. Moritz in 1948. Heaton won three medals in 1928, 1932 and 1948.

Fans can tune into the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

U.S. Olympic Team Flag Bearers – Closing Ceremony 
1960 Donald McDermott, Speedskating
1964 Jean Saubert, Alpine Skiing
1968 Tim Wood, Figure Skating
1972 Barbara Ann Cochran, Alpine Skiing
1976 Sheila Young, Speedskating
1980 Eric Heiden, Speedskating
1984 Phil Mahre, Alpine Skiing
1988 Bonnie Blair, Speedskating
1992 Bonnie Blair, Speedskating
1994 Dan Jansen, Speedskating
1998 Cammi Granato, Ice Hockey
2002 Brian Shimer, Bobsled
2006 Joey Cheek, Speedskating
2010 Bill Demong, Nordic Combined
2014 Julie Chu, Ice Hockey
2018 Jessie Diggins, Cross-Country Skiing
2022 Elana Meyers Taylor, Bobsled