PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, today announced that Nordic skier Oksana Masters (Louisville, Kentucky) has been selected as the flag bearer to represent the U.S. Paralympic Team at the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. The ceremony will take place on March 18 at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium in South Korea. Masters, who will lead the 74-member U.S. Team, was chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes.
“It’s so surreal to think that I’ll be carrying the nation’s flag and representing all of Team USA,” Masters said. “There are so many athletes on this team who have done such an amazing job. It’s truly an honor to carry the flag.”
Masters has captured four medals thus far in PyeongChang, bringing her career Paralympic medal count to seven between Nordic skiing and rowing. On Wednesday, she won the long-awaited Paralympic gold medal in the cross-country sprint. Throughout the Games, Masters has overcome a serious injury to her right elbow that happened less than three weeks ago. Despite the injury, she has continued to shine on the international stage, claiming gold in the cross-country sprint, silver in the individual biathlon and biathlon sprint, and bronze in the cross-country 12km.
“I think there are so many Team USA athletes that deserve to carry our nation’s flag,” Masters said. “So many athletes have accomplished so much here and would do a great job of representing our country. I did not think I would even be competing at this Games, and to walk away with the opportunity to be the flag bearer...it’s indescribable.”
The Closing Ceremony will be shown on NBC Sports Network at 11:30 p.m. ET on March 18.
Fans can follow the 2018 U.S. Paralympic Team at Team USA’s PyeongChang 2018 microsite and across U.S. Paralympics social channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The U.S. Paralympic Team microsite offers Team USA results from the Paralympic Winter Games, as well as athlete biographies, sport previews, competition schedules, and facts and figures about the U.S. delegation.
