U.S.A. Women’s Basketball star Sue Bird and U.S.A. Baseball infielder Eddy Alvarez will work as flag bearers at the opening event of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, it was exposed on the “TODAY” program Wednesday.
Bird, 40, has actually won 4 gold medals with the ladies’s group going back to 2004. Alvarez, 31, has actually had fun with the Miami Marlins and won a silver medal in speedskating at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Traditionally, a single person has actually normally functioned as flag bearer in the Olympics, however this year it was altered to 2 after the International Olympic Committee motivated one male and one woman to represent each country as a sign of gender parity. The flag bearers are picked by their fellow professional athletes.
“With 49 per cent female participation, Tokyo 2020 will be the first gender-equal Olympic Games ever,” the IOC states. “For the very first time, there will be at least one woman and one male professional athlete in each of the groups taking part in the Games.
Fencer Janice Lee Romary was the very first American female to function as flag bearer in 1968 in Mexico City. Athletes bring the flags of their nations go back to the 1908 Games in London. Track and field star Ralph Rose was the very first U.S. professional athlete to work as flag bearer.
Swimmer Michael Phelps was America’s flag bearer at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He would go on to win 6 medals, consisting of 5 gold, bringing his profession overall to 28 and making him the most embellished professional athlete in Olympic history.
The professional athletes will have a distinct take a look at the event. Designed by Ralph Lauren, the uniforms will include a navy sports jacket, a striped Tee shirts, a flag-printed headscarf, slim-fit denims, a striped belt, a cotton mask and collaborating shoes that include more red, white and blue. Flag bearers will likewise be the only professional athletes on the group using white jeans coats.
