Short-track speedskater Amy Peterson will carry the American flag into Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium, leading the U.S. Olympic team for the 2002 Winter Games into the opening ceremonies Friday.
Peterson was elected Wednesday night by the U.S. Olympic contingent. In the same election, U.S. Olympians picked Jim Shea Jr. to deliver the ceremonial athletes' oath.
Shea is a favorite in the skeleton, and Peterson, 29, is among the United States' most decorated athletes. She is a seven-time (and reigning) U.S. short-track champion, four-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist. In 1996-97 her rankings dropped dramatically as she battled chronic fatigue syndrome; Peterson put together her greatest achievement, in her eyes, coming back strong to win the 1998 U.S. Olympic trials and finish fourth in the 1,000 meters in the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano.
Shea's grandfather, Jack Shea, had been the oldest living American gold medalist until he was killed by an alleged drunken driver earlier this year. He was 91.
Late Wednesday the American team also selected eight athletes to carry a flag recovered from ground zero of the World Trade Center into Olympic stadium.
The athletes, representing each of the U.S. Olympic Committee's eight governing bodies, are: Mark Grimmette of luge, Lea Ann Parsley of bobsled and skeleton, Chris Klug of skiing, Todd Eldredge of figure skating, Stacy Liapis of curling, Angela Ruggiero of ice hockey, Derek Parra of speedskating and Kristina Sabasteanski of biathlon.
The ground zero flag — recovered from the rubble of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — will be carried by an honor guard composed of American athletes, American heroes, firefighters and police officers and will bring up the rear of the U.S. athletes' march, said Francois Carrard, the director general of the IOC.
Peterson will lead the U.S. athletes' march carrying a separate, smaller flag.
Just how the ground zero flag would enter Olympic stadium has been the center of much controversy.
Tuesday, USOC spokesman Mike Moran revealed that the International Olympic Committee had rejected a plan to have American athletes carry the recovered flag into the stadium during opening ceremonies.
Wednesday, however, the IOC seemingly changed its tune and said it would allow the flag into the ceremonies.
After the athletes' march, Olympic organizers plan to raise the flag next to the Olympic caldron to fly for the entirety of the opening ceremonies.
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