Olympics 2024: Coco Gauff to be Team USA female flag bearer at Olympic opening ceremony

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Tennis star Coco Gauff has been named the female flag bearer of Team USA for the Parade of Nations at the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony, scheduled to be held on Friday (July 26).

Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the US flag. She will share the flag-bearing duties with Basketball superstar LeBron James, who was named the male flag beaer earlier this week.

Gauff and James were picked as the flag bearers by Team USA athletes, who will be eyeing for a medal rush at the Summer Games. Over 500 athletes will compete in 34 sports and will aim for an eighth straight top place finish and fourth straight top spot for gold medals at the Paris Olympics.

The 20-year-old Gauff was part of the American team in Tokyo Olympics three years ago as a teenager, but the youngster had to miss the 2020 Olympics after she tested positive for COVID-19 before she could fly out to Japan.

Now Gauff heads into her first Olympic appearance as a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles, and also gets the pride of carrying the country's flag at the parade of the nations in the opening ceremony.

The news that she will carry the flag was broken to Gauff by her compatriot and longtime friend, Christopher Eubanks as per a video posted by Team USA on X.

"Your year last year was incredible," Eubanks said. "You captured the world by storm. You captured your first Grand Slam. I think you kind of showcased to the world, in the U.S. and abroad, how special of a person and tennis player you are.

"And I think because you are so special, you have the honor of wearing this jacket during the opening ceremony and being a flag bearer with LeBron James." Gauff surprised by the news said: "I was not expecting that," and as she gave Eubanks a heartfelt hug added: "Thank you, that's really cool."

Earlier, Los Angeles Laker star James, an Olympic gold medallist in 2008 and 2012, was picked by his fellow US Olympians to carry the flag as the male flag-bearer.

"It's an incredible honour to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together," James was quoted as saying in a statement released by United States Olympic and Paraylmpic Committee.