Chester County’s Nick Mead will be one of Team USA’s flag bearers in the closing ceremony
Mead, who was voted in by his peers, will join swimming icon Katie Ledecky.
Nick Mead of Strafford will join swimming icon Katie Ledecky as flag bearer for Team USA at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Mead was part of the team that won U.S. Rowing’s first gold in the men’s fours since 1960, alongside Drexel Hill’s Justin Best, who surprised Mead with the news in Paris at breakfast.
“Try to represent rowing as best as possible,” Mead told the TODAY show on NBC. “I think first step: get a haircut.”
Mead, an Episcopal Academy alumnus, is the first rower ever to be flag bearer for Team USA at the Olympic Games in the opening or closing ceremony.
He joins Ledecky, who won two gold medals in the 1,500- and 800-meter freestyle, a bronze medal in the 400 freestyle, and a silver in the 4x200 freestyle relay. At these Games, Ledecky became the most decorated American woman in any Olympic sport, and the most decorated woman in swimming of all time.
Mead and Ledecky were selected after a vote by Team USA athletes. In the opening ceremony, tennis star Coco Gauff and LeBron James carried the flag for Team USA.
It’s been a big week for the men’s fours team. Best got engaged live on TODAY, and the whole team got to meet Elmo.
The closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday and will air live on NBC.