Speed skater Brittany Bowe graciously gave up her 500-meter spot so that teammate Erin Jackson could go to the Beijing Olympics. Now another Olympian is giving Bowe something in return.
Four-time Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who was elected flag-bearer for Team USA but is unable to attend the opening ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19, gave Bowe her spot to lead the Americans in the Parade of Nations.
In an interview Wednesday morning on the "TODAY" show, Bowe said she was honored to be bestowed with duty of carrying the flag on Meyers Taylor's behalf.
"What an honor and privilege, and for once, I'm at a loss for words," Bowe said.
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Bowe, a 2018 Olympic bronze medalist, will be joined by curler John Shuster.
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Team Shuster won the first ever Olympic gold in curling for the United States at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, kicking off a curling craze across America in the process. The five-time Olympian has competed in every Winter Games since making his Olympic debut in 2006. That year, he won bronze at the Torino Olympics.
"Being elected as one of the flag bearers is a tremendous honor," Shuster said. "When thinking back to my Opening Ceremony experiences, I cannot help but be so proud to lead Team USA into an Olympic Winter Games. Joining the incredible group of Team USA leaders, especially since it was chosen by my Team USA teammates, is one of the greatest honors of my sporting career."
Taylor, who is currently quarantining in an isolation hotel, tested positive on Jan. 29, two days after arriving in Beijing. USA Bobsled and Skeleton remains hopeful that Meyers Taylor will be able to compete at the Beijing Games, especially since bobsled doesn’t begin until about a week into the Olympics.
"I'm holding up really well," Meyers Taylor told "TODAY." "I'm healthy, I'm asymptomatic, and that's the most important thing when we talk about COVID because so many people across the country are struggling with it."
The Opening Ceremony will be held Friday, Feb. 4 at National Stadium, where more than 150 athletes on the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team are set to walk in the Parade of Nations.
