Team USA Announces Its Flag Bearer: Luger Erin Hamlin
It came down to a controversial coin toss.
Out of the 244 American athletes making the journey to PyeongChang, only one will have the honor of holding the flag during the Opening Ceremony's Parade of Nations: Erin Hamlin, a four-time Olympian in luge.
Th 31-year-old from Remsen, New York, made history four years ago in Sochi when she became the first U.S. athlete ever to win an Olympic singles luge medal by securing bronze. She's also the first American woman to win a world championship in luge.
Hamlin's already announced her intent to retire from the sport following the games. Bearing the flag in the Opening Ceremony would put her in an exclusive club of athletic greats including Michael Phelps and Scott Hamilton.
"It was a pretty big shock," Hamlin told NBC of her new role, "but it is an honor and a privilege to be recognized by all of Team USA."
The decision didn't come without controversy, however. Hamilton won the honor after the official vote came down to a tie. The eight winter sporting federations — bobsled and skeleton, ski and snowboarding, figure skating, curling, biathlon, hockey, speed skating, and luge — each nominate an athlete and then cast ballots in a series of rounds. When the final vote stayed deadlocked at 4-4, the committee used a predetermined method of choosing a winner: a coin toss.
Fellow nominee Shani Davis panned the process in a tweet, calling it "dishonorable" and suggesting race ultimately played a role in the selection. "No problem," he wrote. "I can wait until 2022. #BlackHistoryMonth2018"
The speed skater is competing in his fifth Olympics this year. He became the first black athlete to ever win a gold medal in an individual event at the Winter Olympics 12 years ago in Turin, Italy. That same year, Davis attracted additional controversy by declining to compete in the team pursuit event, causing visible animosity with teammate Chad Hedrick.
He's also a vocal critic on social media of his coverage in the press.
The Opening Ceremony will take place at 6 a.m. ET tomorrow morning, with delayed coverage airing on NBC at 8 p.m.