List of flag bearers for the United States at the Olympics

U.S. team manager Matthew Halpin was the first to carry the flag at the 1906 Intercalated Games, though that event is no longer considered by the International Olympic Committee to be part of Olympic history. Ralph Rose became the first competitor to have the honor when he led the team out at the 1908 Summer Games, The first woman to represent the United States was fencer Janice Romary in 1968, her sixth consecutive Summer Olympics. Native American Ojibwe Taffy Abel was the first person to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics when he was chosen to carry the flag at the inaugural Games in Chamonix in 1924. Abel has been the only Native American flag bearer in the Winter or Summer Olympics. Janice Romary became the first woman to carry the flag at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Irish-born Pat McDonald, one of the "Irish Whales", became the first athlete to be selected as the flag bearer twice when he performed his second duty in 1924. In 1956 two other athletes led the U.S. team out for a second time, James Bickford at the Winter Olympics and Norman Armitage at the Summer Games. ==Selection and reactions==

says he felt "blessed" to be selected as the 2008 flag bearer. The flag bearers are chosen by a vote of the team captains of each sport. Athletes view their selection of flag bearer as a great honor: ==Flag dipping==

competing at the 1908 Olympics after not dipping the flag in the opening ceremony Olympic protocol is that the flag bearer dips their flag to the head of state as part of the parade. It has become tradition that the U.S. flag is not dipped, though the origins of this are surrounded by legend and are widely misreported: The parade of nations was introduced at the 1906 Intercalated Games with Matthew Halpin as the U.S. flag bearer. Halpin gladly dipped the flag, noting that when he did so King George I of Greece "staked me to a smile that made me feel like I belonged". The controversy began at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London where flag bearers were expected to dip the flag to Edward VII on two occasions. Research by the International Society of Olympic Historians concluded that the flag bearer was Ralph Rose and that he might not have dipped the flag to the British King on one of those occasions in support of Irish struggle against British imperialism. Martin Sheridan is often attributed with the explanation by stating at the time "This flag dips to no earthly king" but no evidence of this can be found. 1924, and 1932. However, since the Flag Code is legally unenforceable, it appears to be merely codified tradition. ==Foreign-born representatives==

, the first athlete to carry the flag for the United States on two occasions and the first flag bearer born outside of the U.S. Several foreign-born athletes have represented the United States at the opening ceremonies. Irishman Pat McDonald immigrated to the U.S. and was the first in 1920 and he, at the age of 42, became the oldest Olympic track & field champion. Though he did not compete, he also went on to lead the U.S. team at the following Summer Olympics. The American team at the 1936 Summer Games were led by Berlin-born, highly regarded gymnast Al Jochim who immigrated to the U.S. Olga Fikotová was a discus-thrower at the 1956 Summer Olympics and the only athlete to win a gold medal for her home country Czechoslovakia in that year. She began a much-publicised romance with American athlete Hal Connolly, much to the frustration of the Communist authorities. Fikotová was accused of being a traitor and the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee banned her from representing her country again. Now living in the U.S., she would go on to compete for her adopted country in the next four Summer Games. Despite not being able to replicate her success, Fikotová was chosen to lead the American team at the 1972 Games in Munich, West Germany. Lopez Lomong carried the flag at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and became the fifth flag bearer to be born outside the United States. ==Other notes==

Godfrey Dewey, son of Melvil Dewey the inventor of Dewey Decimal Classification, was the president of the Lake Placid Organizing Committee and was largely responsible for the successful candidature of Lake Placid for the 1932 Winter Olympics. In addition to his role as the U.S. ski team manager he was chosen as the flag bearer for the 1928 Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland. ==List of flag bearers==

List of flag bearers: ;Key ==See also==