After days of scintillating action, the Paris Olympics 2024 is finally bringing down the curtains. A few hours from now, the closing ceremony is scheduled to take place in the midst of a significant pomp and show. According to reports, the Artistic Director and French actor, Thomas Jolly, will be in charge of the closing ceremony. While the opening ceremony took place across the River Seine, this time, the historic Stade de France will be waiting to welcome the world with its 80,000-capacity arena. Olympics.com has also revealed that the stadium will be transformed into a huge concert hall, adding to the aesthetics of the ceremony. 

While the entertainment is expected to be at its finest, the participating countries will have one final march to mark their association in this edition of the games. Each country will be represented by a couple of flag bearers, who have ideally been the best performers of the tournament. And while the USA had a significant number of options to choose from, the honor of bearing the national flag has been vested upon Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead. 

Meet the Flag Bearers of Team USA at the Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony

Back on July 26, 2024, it was Coco Gauff and LeBron James who were beaming with joy while leading the US national team. Tonight, it will be Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead’s turn to live the historic moment. First up, Katie Ledecky is a name that requires no introduction. With an astounding 14 Olympic gold medals, Ledecky is the most decorated swimmer in the world. With a total of 9 Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals, Ledecky is ranked as the fifth most decorated athlete in the history of the Olympics. 

On the other hand, Nick Mead is a name that has been coming up frequently in rowing. Making an impressive ascend, Nick Mead has won silver medals at the 2017 and 2023 World Championships, respectively. While the one won in 2017 came in the Eight, Mead clinched the second position in his favored coxless four a year ahead of Paris. While Mead was part of the men’s eight events in Tokyo, the coveted Olympic medal eluded him. However, that would soon change as Nick Mead made the rowing fans sit up and take notice with a breathtaking display in Paris. 

What Are the Paris Olympics Achievements of Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead?

When Nick Mead reached the finals of the men’s coxless four in Paris, he was just a step away from making history. With Justin Best, Michael Grady, and Liam Corrigan by his side, Team USA blasted their way to the gold medal. Putting off a tough challenge from the New Zealanders, Mead, and USA won by a margin of 0.85 of a second. This was a remarkable achievement as the country won its maiden gold medal in the coxless four since the presidential tenure of Dwight D Eisenhower. Elated at the news of being the flagbearer, Nick Mead stated, “Try to represent rowing as best as possible… I think first step: get a haircut.” 

Well, if the story of Nick Mead was impressive, Katie Ledecky, as usual, was flawless in her events. The legendary swimmer secured 4 Olympic medals in Paris, including a couple of gold. Competing in the 1500m freestyle event, Ledecky set a new Olympic record as she also captained the USA women’s swimming team that clinched silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Ledecky’s other medals came in the 800m freestyle (gold), and 400m freestyle(bronze), respectively. 

Interestingly, Katie Ledecky was informed about the big news by fellow teammate Bobby Finke. Utterly delighted, Ledecky posted on X, “Honored to lead @TeamUSA at the Closing Ceremony with Nick! Proud of my teammates here in Paris, and excited to celebrate with all of them on Sunday.” Thus, with the limelight beaming down on Ledecky and Mead, the athletes will be part of a magical experience, which they will surely not forget in a long time to come.