WINTER GAMES: Underway with flag-bearer drama
The Winter Games are officially underway in South Korea, but it got started with a little drama on Team USA.
Behind the scenes, there was a battle over who would carry the American flag in the opening ceremony's Parade of Nations. The athletes voted among eight nominees. There was a tie between a pair of four-time Olympians: speed-skater Shani Davis and Erin Hamlin, who competes in the luge.
Race and gender played a role in the bubbling tension. Erin is a white woman. Shani is a black man. The pre-arranged tie-breaker was a coin toss, which Shani Davis lost. Davis, who ended up skipping the opening ceremony, shared his bitterness on Twitter saying, "When I won the 1000-meter in 2010, I became the first American to two-peat that event. @TeamUSA dishonorably tossed a coin to decide its 2018 flag bearer. No problem. I can wait until 2022.” Shani added the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth2018. (People)
Erin Hamlin responded on Twitter this morning saying, "Beyond grateful to be a part of this team and incredibly proud to have the privilege of leading every amazing @TeamUSA athlete into that stadium tonight. Let's do this!! #TeamUSA #starsandstripes #olympics”