GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) — Speedskater Shani Davis didn't attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics after losing a coin flip to carry the U.S. flag and lead American athletes into the stadium.
A U.S. Speedskating spokesman said Saturday that Davis originally planned to skip Friday night's festivities because of his training schedule but briefly reconsidered when he was nominated by his teammates to be the flag bearer.
Davis and luger Erin Hamlin tied 4-4 in voting by fellow athletes to carry the flag. Hamlin won the honor in a coin toss, a process the 35-year-old speedskater said was executed "dishonorably" in a post on his Twitter account.