Vancouver's Kara Winger selected by fellow Team USA members to carry flag at closing ceremonies...
TOKYO--Skyview High School graduate and Vancouver native Kara Winger (Paul Merca photo) was selected to lead the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team into the Closing Ceremony as flag bearer on Sunday, Aug. 8 at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
Chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes, Winger is the fourth track and field athlete to lead the U.S. delegation in the Closing Ceremony and the first since 2012 when Bryshon Nellum carried the flag.
“It’s an incredible honor to be selected by my fellow Team USA athletes to be our flag bearer,” said Winger in a statement released by USA Track & Field and the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee
“There’s no better way to conclude my career as an Olympic athlete than to lead the U.S. team into the Closing Ceremony. On behalf of Team USA, we want to thank the Tokyo Organizing Committee, the people of Tokyo and the country of Japan for hosting these Olympic Games and bringing the world back together again through sport.”
She is an eight-time USATF Champion and has represented the U.S. at five World Championships with her best finish coming in 2019 at 5th place. Winger is a two-time Pan American Games medalist claiming gold in 2019 and silver in 2015. She's competed at the Olympics four times, and finished 17th overall in the javelin in Tokyo.
The USATF release is available here.
FRIDAY NIGHT SUMMARY...
Six finals were contested Friday evening on the penultimate night of competition at Olympic Stadium.
Liu Shiying of China won the women's javelin with a season best mark of 217-8 (66.34m), followed by Maria Andrejczyk of Poland, who threw 211-11 (64.61m). Reigning world champ Kelsey-Lee Barber was third at 211-10 (64.56m).
Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, the current world record holder in the 5000 and 10000, won the 5000 in 12:58.15, followed by Wisconsin alum Moh Ahmed of Canada & the Portland based Nike Bowerman TC in 12:58.61. American Paul Chelimo won his second career Olympic medal, as he finished third in 12:59.05.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas won her second straight Olympic 400 title in 48.36, ahead of Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, who crossed the line in 49.20. Allyson Felix of Team USATF earned her tenth career Olympic medal with her third place finish in a season best 49.46.
Sifan Hassan's bid for triple Olympic gold was stopped as defending champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya won the 1500 meters in an Olympic record 3:53.11, followed by Great Britain's Laura Muir in a national record 3:54.50. Hassan of the Netherlands, a former member of the disbanded Nike Oregon Project who won the 5000 earlier in the meet, finished third in 3:55.86.
Jamaica won the women's 4 x 100 relay in a national record 41.02 with double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah running the second leg. Team USATF was second in 41.45, with Oregon alum Jenna Prandini running a strong third leg to get the Americans back into contention. Great Britain was third at 41.88.
Continuing the great roll at these Olympics, the Italians won the men's 4 x 100 relay in a national record 37.50 with Olympic champion Lamont Jacobs on the second leg, and anchor Filippo Tortu holding off Great Britain's anchor Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, whose team ran 37.51. Canada was third at 37.70.
Track and field in Tokyo concludes Saturday night with finals in the women's high jump, 10000, and 4 x 400 relay, and the men's javelin, 1500 & 4 x 400 relay.
Josh Kerr of Great Britain, who runs for the Seattle based Brooks Beasts, will run in the finals of the 1500 meters at 8:40 pm Tokyo time/4:40 am Seattle time. He enters the finals with the eighth fastest time in the world this season with the 3:31.55 he ran at the Stumptown Twilight meet in Portland on June 3rd.
Earlier Saturday morning in Sapporo, SUS Olympic Trials champion Molly Seidel finished third in the marathon, running 2:27:46 in her third career race at the distance, as Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won in a time of 2:27:20 with teammate Brigid Kosgei second at 2:27:36.
This is the third medal won by an American in the marathon, following Joan Benoit Samuelson's victory in the first women's contest in 1984, and Deena Kastor's third place finish in 2004.
Results and start lists are available through the home page of the World Athletics Tokyo Olympics microsite.
NOTE: The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, USA Track & Field, & World Athletics contributed to this report.
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