Removing Artificial Grass

During each Olympics opening ceremony, each country's team is led into the event space by an athlete or delegation representative bearing his or her country's flag. On the U.S. side, the flag-bearer is usually chosen by fellow athletes and/or team captains. The practice of carrying flags into the opening ceremony began with the 1908 Summer Games in London.

LeBron James received the U.S. flag-bearer honor for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Here is a rundown of other flag-bearers throughout Olympics history: 

2024 -- LeBron James, basketball

2020 -- Sue Bird, basketball

2016 Rio -- Michael Phelps, swimming

2012 London -- Mariel Zagunis, fencing

2008 Beijing -- Lopez Lomong, track and field

2004 Athens -- Dawn Staley, basketball

2000 Sydney -- Cliff Meidl, flatwater canoeing

1996 Atlanta -- Bruce Baumgartner, wrestling

1992 Barcelona -- Francie Larrieu Smith, track and field

1988 Seoul -- Evelyn Ashford, track and field

1984 Los Angeles -- Ed Burke, track and field

1976 Montreal -- Gary Hall, swimming

1972 Munich -- Olga Fikotova Connolly, track and field

1968 Mexico City -- Janice Lee Romary, fencing

1964 Tokyo -- Parry O'Brien, track and field

1960 Rome -- Rafer Johnson, track and field

1956 Stockholm -- Warren B. Wofford, equestrian

1956 Melbourne -- Norman Armitage, fencing

1952 Helsinki -- Norman Armitage, fencing

1948 London -- Ralph Craig, track and field

1936 Berlin -- Alfred Jochim, gymnastics

1932 Los Angeles -- F. Morgan Taylor, track and field

1928 Amsterdam -- L. Clarence "Bud" Houser, track and field

1924 Paris -- Pat McDonald, track and field

1920 Antwerp -- Pat McDonald, track and field

1912 Stockholm -- George Bonhag, track and field

1908 London -- Ralph Rose, track and field

For more Olympics coverage, check out the ESPN hub page for breaking news, previews, athlete profiles, and more.