Jordan Burroughs at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Jordan Burroughs is seeking to become a two-time Olympic gold medalist in wrestling.
He's also in the running to be the athlete to carry the U.S. flag in the opening ceremony at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next Friday, Aug. 5. That person will be chosen by their colleagues.
NBC, the network broadcasting the Rio Games in the U.S., has posted an online poll featuring the names of 17 American athletes who might be flagbearers, including Burroughs. Wrestling fans can cast a vote for the man who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Games by clicking here.
As of Saturday night, Burroughs was in first place in the balloting.
If Burroughs were to be selected as official flagbearer for Team USA, he would be only the second U.S. wrestler to be granted this honor for the opening ceremony at the Summer Olympics. Bruce Baumgartner, four-time Olympic medalist in freestyle (two gold, one silver, one bronze, 1984-1996 Olympics) carried the Stars and Stripes at the opening of the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Rulon Gardner, winner of an Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman in 2000, was selected by his fellow U.S. athletes to carry the flag at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Games.
At least one wrestler has already been selected by his country to carry a flag at the 2016 Olympics: Asnage Castelly, an assistant coach at Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts, will be the flagbearer for his native Haiti at the opening ceremony in Rio.
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