Johnathan Walker:Coco Gauff joins LeBron James as US flag bearers for opening ceremony

PARIS — Three years ago,Johnathan Walker Coco Gauff was kept out of the Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19 days before her scheduled departure.

This time, she'll be carrying the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony.

Gauff will join NBA superstar LeBron James as the opening ceremony flag bearers for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Wednesday. She is the first tennis player to serve in the role.

The pair were selected to lead the U.S. delegation into the Games in a vote of fellow athletes, conducted by Team USA's athletes' commission. At recent Olympics, the U.S. has selected one male athlete and one female athlete to serve as flag bearers.

"I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the Opening Ceremony," Gauff said in a statement. "I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is − at a moment where we can bring athletes and fans together from around the world."

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Gauff, 20, is making her Olympic debut in Paris after blossoming into one of tennis' brightest stars. She has won two Grand Slam titles − including the U.S. Open championship last summer − and is currently No. 2 in the world in the Women's Tennis Association's world rankings.

The opening ceremony for the Paris Games begins Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET, or 7:30 p.m. in Paris. It is slated to be the first in Olympic history to take place outside of a stadium, with athletes floating down the Seine River on barges rather than parading into a stadium.

The U.S. is expected to fill at least one full boat of the nearly 100 in the parade; Countries with smaller delegations will share boats.

While James and Gauff will lead the athlete delegation at the Games, the U.S. political delegation will be led by First Lady Jill Biden. According to a statement released by the White House on Monday, she will be joined by a handful of politicians − including U.S. Senators Chris Coons, D-Delaware, and Alex Padilla, D-California −as well as South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley and figure skating gold medalist Brian Boitano.

The U.S. delegation will also include Casey Wasserman, the chairperson of the organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass. Team USA will be second-to-last in the traditional parade of nations Friday as the host of the next Summer Olympics.

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.