Meet Team USA’s Flag Bearers Leading the Charge at the Opening Ceremony

A first-time Olympian and an Olympic veteran will both represent the U.S.

PARIS, France — At the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics, a first-time Olympian and a four-time Olympic veteran will team up to be flag bearers for the United States.

The International Olympic Committee decided in 2020 that national delegations would have two flagbearers — one male, one female — at the opening ceremony at an Olympics, a move to promote gender parity.

Tennis star Coco Gauff and basketball legend LeBron James were elected by fellow Team USA athletes to carry the American flag at the Friday’s opening ceremony.

Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, will make her Olympic debut and become the first tennis player to carry the U.S. flag. She will be the youngest Olympian in U.S. history to hold this honor.

James, playing in his fourth Olympic Games, becomes the third basketball player, and the first male player, to be a U.S. flagbearer. Fellow U.S. star and first-time Olympian Stephen Curry nominated him for the role.

The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony begins on Friday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m. local time in Paris. This corresponds to 1:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 p.m. Central, 11:30 a.m. Mountain, and 10:30 a.m. Pacific.

NBC and Peacock will have live coverage of the Opening Ceremony starting at Noon Eastern.

Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Primetime coverage of the Opening Ceremony will start at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.