Looks for swimmers to feature prominently in the Paris 2024 Closing Ceremonies. Some of the most recognisable stars of the pool will be among the flagbearers when Olympic athletes bid farewell to the Olympic Games in a closing ceremony in Stade de France, France’s national stadium.
More than 40 aquatic athletes, some of whom were surprised, were selected by their National Olympic Committees or their teammates from their country to carry their national standard in the closing celebration. The Paris 2024 Olympic medallists chosen to carry their flags were overwhelmed with gratitude for this unexpected opportunity and shared their heartfelt comments with World Aquatics. A few were surprised to be asked; some had already left Paris when they received the news of their selection.
Team USA | Katie Ledecky: “Bobby FaceTimed me”
Katie Ledecky was asked to carry the Stars & Stripes for the USA before leaving Paris as the most decorated female Olympian in swimming. Ledecky won the 800m and 1500m freestyle events and earned four medals during her campaign.
Ledecky got the news from U.S. Olympic gold medalist Bobby Finke, the newly minted world record holder in the 1500m freestyle. "Bobby FaceTimed me to tell me the news, and I started crying. It's really just such an honour to represent this team with so many great performances this week from all sports." according to Ledecky.
Australia | Kaylee McKeown Comes Back from Vacation in Croatia
Australia's Kaylee McKeown was on holiday with her family in Croatia when she got a call from Chef de Mission Anna Meares. "When Anna asked me about carrying the flag, I responded, "Are you serious?" "There are so many athletes that deserve the same honour and opportunity. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I couldn't be more thankful. I never thought I'd be given this opportunity, and I will truly remember this for the rest of my life. I'm a proud Australian and thrive off representing the green and gold, showing the rest of the world what it means to be a true Aussie!"
McKeown defended her 100m and 200m backstroke Olympic swimming titles at Paris 2024, becoming Australia's first four-time individual gold medallist. "Kaylee's performances speak for themselves; to become Australia's first four-time individual Olympic champion is extraordinary," Meares said. "Her results are exceptional, but her character, personality and charm resonate with what makes this Australian Olympic Team so special."
Canada’s Summer McIntosh | “I’m truly honoured”
Canada's Summer McIntosh, only 17 years old, put on a show at the LaDefense Arena by winning four Olympic medals in Paris 2024, three gold and one silver. McIntosh swam to silver in the women's 400m freestyle, followed by golds in the 400m IM, 200m butterfly and 200m IM. She is the first Canadian to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. Team Canada's Chef de Mission, four-time Olympian Bruny Surin, reached McIntosh by video call on the dock at her family's cottage in Muskoka, Ontario, to ask her to do Team Canada the honour of carrying the flag. "Oh my god! I'd be so honoured!" McIntosh said excitedly. "There's been so many incredible performances at the Games, and for me to be chosen as flag bearer is pretty incredible. I'm truly honoured to hold the flag for Canada."
Kristof Milak Carries Hungary's Flag into the Olympic Stadium
Hungary's Kristof Milak will carry his nation's flag in the closing ceremony. Milak claimed Olympic gold in the 100m butterfly, an upgrade from his silver medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Milak is the world record holder in the 200m butterfly but settled for a silver medal behind France's newest hero, Leon Marchand. Asked about Hungary's top swimmer, his Hungarian team coach, Csaba Sos, said. "He's a bit more than special. He is very special."
Double Delight for Ireland | Wiffen & McSharry Carry Lead their Nation
Ireland's flag bearers will be Daniel Wiffen, winner of the 800m freestyle and bronze medalist Mona McSharry. McSharry won Ireland's first Olympics medal, finishing third in the 100m breaststroke. The 23-year-old said, "I was so shocked when they selected me among many amazing athletes who competed at the Games. I am so excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity to be one of Ireland's flagbearers. This is a great way to close out an incredible Olympic Games."
Wiffen became the first athlete from Ireland to win an Olympic gold medal in 36 years. "I'm so happy. I think it's a great privilege to hold the flag, and I will hold it high around the stadium. I really can't wait; it's a dream come true for me." On Friday, Wiffen raced in the Seine in the open water marathon and claimed a bronze in the 1500m freestyle. The 2024 Olympics have been the most successful in Ireland's history.
Italy Tabs Swimming Great Gregorio Paltrinieri
Imagine the pride of Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri in sharing the flag-bearing responsibilities with the Olympian champion and Rossella Fiamingo, his fiance. Paltrinieri declared, "It is a great honour to represent the Italian Olympians in Paris. Forty medals for Italy, a great Olympics equalling Tokyo, but with two more gold medals. It also recognises Italian swimming, which has been a protagonist in recent years. Congratulations to all the Italian athletes." Paltrinieri won silver and bronze in the 1500m and 800m freestyle swimming events, respectively, to give him five Olympic medals for his career. Fiamingo won a team fencing gold medal in Paris, in addition to her silver medal from Rio de Janeiro and bronze from Tokyo. The engaged couple won their medals within about a half-hour of each other during the first week of the Summer Games.
South Africa’s Tatjana Smith | “I couldn’t be happier!”
South Africa's Tatjana Smith will carry her country's flag as the most successful South African athlete of the games. Smith announced she would hang up her suit, cap and goggles after these Olympics. She retires as South Africa's most decorated athlete ever at the Olympics. "I am just grateful to have the opportunity to end my career this way. I couldn't be happier!" said Smith. "I hope my story inspires one person, and if that happens, I've reached my goal. It's never about trying to inspire millions. Achievements eventually fall away, but you want to be remembered for the person you are and what you bring to people."
Switzerland looks to Swimmer Roman Mityukov
Switzerland's flag bearer is Roman Mityukov, the fourth swimmer from his nation to earn an Olympic medal. He claimed a bronze medal in the 200m backstroke, improving his best time and setting a national record.
The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games usually starts with the "Parade of Nations", where flag bearers from each participating country enter at the main entrance to the stadium field.
First In | Greece’s Evangelia Platanioti
Traditionally, the Greek flag leads the parade. One of their two flag bearers will be artistic swimmer Evangelia Platanioti, who competed in her fourth Olympics, finishing sixth in the Duet Free Routine on August 10th.
This is a reminder that the flag bearers from Australia and the United States will enter the stadium near the end, following Zambia and Zimbabwe. These nations are hosting the 2032 and 2028 editions of the Summer Olympic Games.
The host country's flag, in this case France, is the last to enter the stadium. Léon Marchand is one of the biggest stars in Paris and has four gold medals. Speculation that Marchand would carry the flag in the farewell celebration was ongoing until Sunday afternoon when it was confirmed that Antoine Dupont and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot had been chosen to carry the French flag during the delegation's parade.
Unlike the opening ceremony, where the competitors are organised by country, the athletes enter the stadium without necessarily being grouped by nationality in the Parade of Athletes. Before the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games, no Olympic Team had ever marched in the closing ceremony of either the modern or ancient Games. Adopting the suggestion of an Australian schoolboy as a way of bringing the world's athletes together, they entered the stadium without national distinction. This type of celebration tradition during the closing ceremony has been continued for 68 years.
ABOUT THE CLOSING CEREMONY: Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet
"At the Stade de France, where the greatest stars of athletics and rugby sevens will have competed, the moment will be solemn and emotional, but it will also be a time for celebration,"
"Finally, the pressure will be off, and everyone will be able to take full advantage of the absolutely exceptional show that is being planned under the direction of Thomas Jolly, with the help of all the teams working across the four Paris 2024 ceremonies. Innovative, surprising and brilliant, these ceremonies promise to be very powerful, just like "Records", which has everything it takes to make a mark on the history of Closing Ceremonies."
At the end of the ceremony, the Olympic flame is extinguished to mark the final success of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
But the athletes are promised that the flame will once again be ignited when the youth of the world assemble four years from now to celebrate the Games of the XXIV Olympiad.
Will you be one of those athletes assembling in Los Angeles from July 14-30, 2028?