FLAG FIGHT

U.S. Speed Skater Shani Davis Unhappy He’s Not Flag Bearer

First black athlete to win Winter Olympics individual gold loses coin toss to female luger who won bronze in Sochi.

U.S. men’s speed skater Shani Davis sounded off on Twitter in reaction to him not being selected as flag bearer in Friday’s Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Pyeongchang. The flag bearer, who is chosen in vote by athletes representing each of the U.S. event delegations, was tied between Davis and luger Erin Hamlin. The tie was broken by a coin toss, which give Hamlin the honor. In a tweet, Davis attacked the method used in the selection process and implied a racial slight by hashtagging “#BlackHistoryMonth2018.” Davis was the first black athlete to ever win a gold medal in an individual Winter Olympics event; Hamlin was the first to medal (a bronze) in singles luge in American history. “No problem,” Davis wrote. “I can wait until 2022.”